Chopra says Federer inspirational as player and as human being, hails Nadal's willpower and fighter attitude

Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra cited Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as his inspirations from the world of tennis while attending the Wimbledon recently. The two-time Olympic medallist was among a host of stars – from fellow athletes such as Sachin Tendulkar to Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio – descending in London for the grass-court Grand Slam that concluded on Sunday with Jannik Sinner winning the men's singles title.

Chopra, who had recently won the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru with an 86.18m throw, revealed that he was attending a tennis event for the first time in his career and couldn’t have picked a more prestigious competition than Wimbledon. He also revealed meeting 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon winner, in Zurich last year and engaging in a quality conversation with him.

“I’m feeling very good. This is my first tennis tournament — and that too, Wimbledon — so I’m really enjoying it. I remember when Federer used to win, I used to remember the grass court, knew a little bit about the tradition — that the whole dress code is white. I used to feel very good watching that,” Chopra told Star Sports from the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, which hosts the annual grass-court Grand Slam.

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“I think Roger Federer is very inspiring — both in the way he plays and as a human being. I met him in Zurich last year, spent quite some time with him, and had a good conversation. It felt really nice. The way he used to play was also amazing,” the 27-year-old added.

‘Nadal stood out because he was very strong physically ‘

Chopra also cited clay-court specialist Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, also another tennis icon who inspired him, especially with his willpower and never-give-up attitude.

“I’d also like to mention one more player — Nadal. He used to play really well too. His willpower and never-give-up attitude were something I really admired.

“I think Nadal stood out because he was very strong physically — different from many other tennis players. He had a fighter’s spirit and looked very muscular. He didn’t even look like a typical tennis player — he looked powerful. So, I always felt Nadal was really good,” the reigning men’s javelin world champion added.