 "Neeraj Chopra revealed meeting Roger Federer in Zurich last year, where he had a great conversation with the tennis legend. Image credit: Instagram/neeraj____chopra")
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.
“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.