'We have the impression that Roger Federer does everything...', says young ace

During Christmas day, the list of teams that will participate in the 2021 edition of the ATP Cup arrives, an edition that will take place in reduced form (12 teams instead of 24) and in a single location (Melbourne) to prevent players from moving who will have spent quarantine in Melbourne in anticipation of the Australian Open. The teams will be divided into four groups of three, the first of each group will qualify for the semi-finals. Nations qualify by virtue of their number 1 ranking and that is why the names disclosed include the # 1 and # 2 of each nation. Of course, the presence of Roger Federer's name is news, even if this does not necessarily mean that the very Swiss champion will actually be in the game in Australian tournaments. Australian Open director Craig Tiley said last week he had received confirmation from Federer of his presence in Melbourne, although the Swiss had expressed concerns about the condition of his knee and the possibility of recovering in time. The teams will be completed by two or three other players, selected on the basis of the singles ranking (the n.3 and the n.4 of each nation) or the doubles one, in case you want to opt for a specialist. During a conversation with Tennisactu, Luca Van Assche revealed that Roger Federer is the player he looks up to the most. The teenager wants to follow in the footsteps of the Swiss legend, but admitted that he has a tough road ahead.

Van Assche on Roger Federer

“Otherwise, I respect Rafael Nadal a lot for all the work he has done to reach this level,” Luca Van Assche added. “Roger Federer, we have the impression that he does everything quietly with talent while Nadal, there is this hard-working side and that's really an inspiration because we see that through his work.” Coming to matters outside the tennis court, Roger has been the only tennis player over the past decade to feature in the top 10 rankings of the Forbes list of the highest-paid athletes. In 2020, Federer topped the rankings, emerging on top of the likes of soccer superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The amount of income he generates from endorsements is unmatched. Taking into consideration his success on and off the tennis court, he is arguably the greatest player of all time. Other than a large faction of tennis fans believing so, there have been many greats of the game who in the past have voiced similar opinions. He has enjoyed rivalries with players from previous generations like Marat Safin, Andre Agassi, and Andy Roddick. However, his most notable rivalries are undoubtedly against Djokovic and, the greatest of them, against Rafael Nadal. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2MbHtmc