Roger Federer and Lionel Messi, Andy Murray and Gareth Bale: Which tennis players could be footballers?
Thursday 18 June 2015 23:01, UK
After Roger Federer was compared to Lionel Messi this week, we take a look at other tennis players who could be footballers.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion was likened to Barcelona star Messi after a brilliant behind-the-back shot against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
But which other tennis players share similar characteristics or traits to tennis stars?
Bernard Tomic – Mario Balotelli
He hasn’t yet set off fireworks in the locker rooms or thrown darts at Roger Federer, but Tomic has definitely been the bad boy of tennis in recent years.
His controversial moments include being dropped from the Australia Davis Cup team for his ‘off-court behaviour’, allegedly getting into a fight in a jacuzzi at 5.30am, being allegedly caught up in a drugs case and seeing his father banned from the tour for headbutting his hitting partner.
Liverpool striker Balotelli’s rap sheet includes setting off fireworks in his bathroom, shoving manager Roberto Mancini and throwing darts at a youth team player, among other things.
Nick Kyrgios – Neymar
One plays in the green and gold of Brazil, the other plays for the green and gold of Australia.
Kyrgios may be lagging behind Neymar in the trophy stakes, but there is no doubt that he is a star of the future who plays with the same love of the game as the Brazilian and also enjoys the occasional showboat…
Andy Murray – Gareth Bale
One carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders, the other carries the weight of Great Britain.
Both Murray and Bale are also used to dealing with criticism on their journeys to the pinnacle of their respective sports.
Bale has taken stick from the Spanish press in his second season at Real Madrid while Murray has incurred the wrath of the British press after saying he would "support anyone playing England" at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Rafael Nadal – Cristiano Ronaldo
If Federer is Messi then there can only be one Ronaldo: Rafael Nadal.
Both battling for supremacy at the top of their respective sports, both knowing their trophy cabinets would be even more full were it not for Federer and Messi, but both with the drive and desire to win even more silverware.
Plus Nadal is a Real Madrid fan, so he enjoys cheering on Ronaldo…
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - Daniel Sturridge
Two players who love to celebrate their success.
Liverpool striker Sturridge often shows off his dance moves when he scores while Tsonga also has his own signature victory dance.
The Frenchman showed his penchant for celebration in his recent quarter-final match at the French Open at Roland Garros by writing Roland je t'aime (Roland I love you) on the court, lying down on the clay himself to be the T.
Unfortunately they also have something else in common: they have both been injury prone as of late.
Gael Monfils – Zinedine Zidane
A couple of players capable of producing something magical or, occasionally, something mad.
Monfils might be a bit more prone to the latter than the former, but Zidane also lost his head on a few occasions – see his headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.
At his best, Zidane was magical, graceful and majestic, just as Monfils can be when he decides to play to his full potential.
Fabio Fognini – Zlatan Ibrahimovic
If you’re looking for tantrums, theatrics or explosive back-page quotes then Fognini and Ibrahimovic are your men.
Italian No 1 Fognini has sworn at crowds, threatened an umpire and broken numerous rackets in fits of rage, while one of Ibrahimovic’s latest outbursts saw him make derogatory remarks against France, the country where he is playing his football with Paris St-Germain.
Doubles team anyone?
David Ferrer – James Milner
Two players who it might be said are doing the best with what they have got.
While neither Ferrer nor Milner possess one outstanding weapon, their biggest quality is their unrelenting commitment and desire.
This quote on 'The Little Beast' Ferrer could just as easily be attributed to Milner too: "He never gives up, whether he is winning or losing, he runs tirelessly and fights for every ball."
No word on a Boring Ferrer Twitter account yet though…
Tomas Berdych – Eden Dzeko
A couple of unassuming players who are more likely to be labelled ‘effective’ than ‘spectacular’, yet still remain near the top of their respective sports.
Berdych has been ranked inside the top 10 in the world for the past five years while Dzeko has continued to score goals for Manchester City despite spending plenty of time on the bench.
They are both tall and powerful players, but whether Dzeko would be too keen on Berdych’s ‘flower power’ look from last year remains to be seen...
Juan Martin Del Potro – Jay Rodriguez
Rodriguez seemed set to get his chance to shine at the World Cup 2014 after scoring 17 goals in a fine season for Southampton.
Then, disaster struck and he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, not only ruling him out of Brazil but putting him out of action for over a year.
He has still not returned to the Saints first team and all eyes will be on him next season to see if he can rediscover his form.
The same could be said of Del Potro, who won the US Open in 2009 but has been plagued by injury in recent years.
The Argentine has struggled with wrist problems for the last three years and is set to have surgery for the third time in the last 15 months.
