Renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who once guided Serena Williams, has sparked an intriguing comparison between tennis legends Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic and football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccernet.football reports.
In a recent Instagram post, Mouratoglou explained the striking similarities he sees between these two pairs of athletes, focusing on their natural abilities and work ethic.
“I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday, and we were saying that Federer is Messi, and Djokovic is Ronaldo,” Mouratoglou revealed.
“Why? Because Federer is pure crazy talent, and he just needs to feel what he’s doing. While Djokovic is the super hard worker that pays attention to every single detail.”
Messi, known for his innate creativity and technical genius, has won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, establishing himself as one of football’s greatest players.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, is celebrated for his unmatched work ethic, which has earned him five Ballon d’Or awards and the title of football’s all-time leading scorer.
Similarly, Federer is often viewed as a maestro in tennis, effortlessly securing 20 Grand Slam titles with his elegant style. Djokovic, however, represents relentless hard work, with his meticulous approach helping him surpass Federer with 24 Grand Slam titles.
Interestingly, Rafael Nadal’s uncle, Toni Nadal, also sees a parallel between Federer and Messi but believes his nephew resembles Ronaldo more than Djokovic.
Toni explained, “The rivalry between Nadal and Federer is comparable to Messi and Ronaldo, but with a difference: Rafael can do all the things Federer can, while Ronaldo cannot do everything Messi does.”
While Federer retired in 2022, Djokovic continues to compete and he is set to face Alex Michelsen at the Shanghai Masters this October.