How Tennis ‘Fan’ Dirk Nowitzki’s Connection with the Sport Involves Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz

Throughout his illustrious 21-year career, Dirk Nowitzki won some of the most prestigious accolades the NBA had to offer, i.e. MVP, Championship, and Finals MVP respectively. Despite solidifying his legacy as a Hall-Of-Famer, Nowitkzi’s “first love” was tennis.

Years after being retired, during an interview with WTA, Dirk reiterated his love for tennis. Apart from playing, the 2011 NBA champ also revealed that he followed the sport religiously, being a huge fan of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Nowitzki was quoted as saying –

“I love tennis. I grew up playing tennis, so I’ve followed the sport my entire life. Of course, I’m a huge Roger Federer guy, a Nadal fan. It’s tough to really pick one favorite.”

If Dirk hadn’t switched sports as a teenager, he could have gone on to make it as a professional on the ATP Tour. Being 7-foot tall, the German would’ve had a great advantage with his serve.

Born and brought up in an era that was dominated by German tennis icons such as Steffi Graf and Boris Becker, Dirk Nowitzki fell in love with the sport at an early age. With hopes of pursuing the racket sport professionally, the Wurzburg native was even nationally ranked in Germany. However, due to a growth spurt, at the age of 15, Dirk decided to let go of his dreams of becoming a professional tennis player and begin the quest of joining the NBA.

Despite giving up tennis, Dirk used the sport as a method of training during his stint in the NBA. Back in 2014, as the Dallas Mavericks legend was in the final stages of his career, he revealed that he still played tennis every day of the offseason. Apart from enjoying the sport, playing tennis would help the 7-footer improve his footwork.

“Now, when I have some time I try to play almost every day at my court at home in Dallas,” Nowitzki said in an interview with USA Today.

“It’s fun and good for the footwork in the offseason.”

While Nowtizki adored Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the longest time, players of the new generation have also managed to leave him in awe. Amongst the talented bunch of players on the tour today, Carlos Alcaraz is one star to leave the NBA Hall-Of-Famer amazed.

When Dirk Nowitzki Called Carlos Alcaraz the “Complete Package”

Dirk Nowitzki is merely one of the many tennis enthusiasts to be astonished after seeing Carlos Alcaraz play. The Mavericks legend claimed that he first saw the young Spaniard play live at the Miami Open 2023 and instantly fell in love with the Grand Slam winner.

Lauding the El Palmar native for being the “complete package”, Nowitzki boldly claimed that the former could dominate the tour for a long time.

“Alcaraz I saw live just a couple of months ago in Indian Wells,” Nowitzki said in an interview with the ATP Tour in 2023.

“Unbelievable. The touch, the talent, the physical nature, the speed, the athleticism. To me, he is like a complete package. The crazy thing is, he’s only 20. If he stays injury-free, obviously he’s going to be dominant for a long, long time.”

This season, Alcaraz has had a fairly underwhelming season. However, he sets to redeem himself and get back to winning Grand Slams by competing for the Coupe des Mousquetaires during the ongoing Roland Garros.