“Rafael Nadal is like LeBron James of tennis, Federer is Michael Jordan, and Novak reminds me of Bryant”: Matteo Berrettini explains how the “Big Three” of tennis and NBA are alike in their own way

Matteo Berrettini called Rafael Nadal the LeBron James of tennis. The Italian further compared Roger Federer to Michael Jordan and Novak Djokovic to Kobe Bryant.

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James are widely considered as the three greatest and most influential players the world of basketball has seen. Each unique in their own way has left their mark on the sport over the course of their illustrious careers.

Similarly, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are the most distinguished tennis stars of all time and are regarded as the “Big Three” of the sport. With 20 Grand Slams each, the three racquet sports icons are the most accomplished players the sport has ever seen.

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Several sports enthusiasts around the world have given their opinions comparing the “Big Three” of both sports. Recently, Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini gave a unique comparison between the set of sporting legends.

Matteo Berrettini compares Rafael Nadal to LeBron James for their physicality, Federer to Jordan, and Novak to Kobe Bryant

A few days before the commencement of the 2022 Australian Open, Berrettini was asked to name the LeBron James of tennis. While speaking about their physicality and how they gained success pretty early in their career, the world number 10 compared the Clay Court GOAT to the Lakers megastar.

“Rafael Nadal is the LeBron of tennis, in terms of physicality and because they both exploded (on the scene) very young.” Berrettini said.

The 25-year-old then went on to give comparisons for Federer and Djokovic too. Matteo said:

“Roger Federer, I would compare him to Michael Jordan. Novak Djokovic reminds me of Kobe Bryant for how he remains cold (stoic) in difficult situations.”

Who is the LeBron James of tennis?

Matteo Berrettini compares the ‘Big Three’ to basketball legends 🎾🤝🏀

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 6, 2021

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If all goes well, Berrettini could potentially be playing against “the LeBron James of tennis” in the semifinals of the ongoing “Happy Slam”. If the two manage to win their respective quarterfinals, the Nadal-Berrettini clash will be a stunning contest no sporting enthusiast will want to miss.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

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