Rod Laver once picked who would struggle more to play with a wooden racket out of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Rod Laver has gone down in history as one of the all-time greats, although he perhaps just falls short of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Nadal and Federer attracted over 50,000 fans for an exhibition clash in 2020, such was their appeal on the court.
Iconic duo Federer and Nadal also played an exciting doubles match at Indian Wells in 2011, with Stan Wawrinka joining the former and Marc Lopez joining the latter.
But the pair, along with Australian legend Laver, are now part of the sport’s history, with all three having won multiple Grand Slam titles.
Nadal’s 22 puts him behind only the 24 of Novak Djokovic, with Federer in third with 20 and Laver not far behind with 11.
Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain pose for a picture at the net prior to their Men’s Singles semi-final match during Day eleve…
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Who Rod Laver said would struggle more with a wooden racket between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
The 86-year-old has more than left his mark on tennis, with the Rod Laver Arena taking centre stage at the Australian Open, while he won the calendar Grand Slam in 1962.
And he fascinated tennis fans back at the 2012 tournament, having been asked in a press conference whose game would suffer more between Nadal and Federer if they used the racket Laver did in 1962
READ MORE: Who Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner say is the best player of all time
“Probably Nadal’s, only because he puts that heavy spin,” said Laver. “Of course, you’ve only got a racket that is six inches wide or seven inches wide.
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“You’re not going to get the whip that he plays. But I think given Nadal learning the game with the wooden racket, he’d have his own style. Roger has I think more anticipation and timing the ball better.
“That’s the difference with those two, is that Roger has maybe more anticipation and smooth stroking, whereas Nadal, it was just hitting heavy spins, coming out with that heavy spin that comes off the forehand, gets up so high, which is another tactical ploy of Nadal.
Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand against Tim Henman of Great Britain in their third round match, during the ATP Masters Series at the Foro It…
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“The ball is coming up shoulder high. Unless you’re 6’5″, it’s hard to hit that shot back up there. That wasn’t the case. We played on grass most of our tennis, except for Europe.
“Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, it was all on grass courts. Then, of course, the grass-court circuit in England. Then, of course, the grass-court circuit in the US.
“It was a serve‑and‑volley game back in those years because not too many of the grass courts you would say were up to par with Wimbledon.
“You let the ball bounce, and it may not bounce. That’s where the serve‑and‑volley routine came into play.”
Rod Laver, Australian tennis great and Jim Courier, two-time Australian Open champion welcome the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup ahead of the Men’s S…
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What are the Grand Slam records of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Rod Laver?
Remarkably, Laver followed his 1962 calendar Grand Slam by repeating the feat in 1969, becoming the first player to achieve the accomplishment in the Open Era.
Federer and Nadal did, of course, clinch every Grand Slam during their stunning careers, but both failed to achieve the calendar Grand Slam.
READ MORE: What Rod Laver said to Rafael Nadal after he won his first ever Australian Open title in 2009
Importantly for tennis, however, they enjoyed dominance at different major tournaments, with Nadal’s 14 French Open titles unlikely to ever be beaten.
Federer meanwhile has a record eight Wimbledon titles to his name, although Novak Djokovic sits just one behind him on seven.
Fittingly, the Serbian has dominated the Australian Open, with Djokovic chasing a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne this month.
Titles Player Amateur Era Open Era Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open Years
22 Rafael Nadal N/A 22 2 14 2 4 2005-2022
20 Roger Federer N/A 20 6 1 8 5 2003-2018
11 Rod Laver 6 5 3 2 4 2 1960-1969
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Rod Laver Grand Slam titles
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Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer
Nick Kyrgios (L) of Australia walks past Cruz Hewitt, the son of former Wimbledon Champion Lleyton Hewitt, during a practice session at the Aorangi…Photo by David Gray/Getty Images
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Nick Kyrgios called out by Rennae Stubbs for his behaviour ahead of Australian Open after his latest actions
Matthew Johns
Matthew Johns
Tue 7 January 2025 15:00, UK
Nick Kyrgios has been making the headlines recently, following his return to the ATP Tour after a lengthy absence.
Kyrgios spent nearly two years on the sidelines, after struggling with knee, foot, and wrist injuries that prevented him from playing more than one match.
The Australian made his official return to tour action at the Brisbane International, with Kyrgios losing his only singles match to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
However, Kyrgios did pick up a win in doubles competition with Novak Djokovic, before losing in the second round to top seeds Michael Venus and Nikola Mektic.
The former Wimbledon finalist has also been catching attention due to his comments on world number one Jannik Sinner, with ATP player Alexander Bublik recently admitting that he disagrees with some of Kyrgios’s views.
Nick Kyrgios leaves the court after the Men’s Doubles match partnered with Novak Djokovic against Michael Venus and Nikola Mektic during day four o…
Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Nick Kyrgios called out by Rennae Stubbs for Cruz Hewitt comment
Kyrgios has been one of the more vocal players against Sinner, since the Italian failed two anti-doping tests in March last year.
This was highlighted most recently, after the 16-year-old son of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, Cruz Hewitt, posted a picture with Sinner after they practiced together in Melbourne.
Kyrgios appeared to take offence to this Instagram post with a series of comments including, “Love ya Cruz but this is wild.”
Cruz Hewitt and Jannik Sinner / Nick Kyrgios
Wow, this Sinner’s chase it’s wild… pic.twitter.com/b0molHF3En
— João Pinto (@imJoaoPinto) January 4, 2025
View Tweet
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Cruz Hewitt was gearing up to compete in Australian Open qualifying, with Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill also the former mentor of Lleyton Hewitt.
This link was pointed out by Rennae Stubbs, who called out Kyrgios on her podcast, “Going after Cruz Hewitt, for hitting with the world number one, who is coached by the guy who coached his Dad, in Lleyton Hewitt, Darren Cahill.
“Darren Cahill was essentially one of the biggest and most important people in Lleyton Hewitt’s early life as a tennis player, helping him get to number one, so they have a special relationship. They are both from Adelaide. They clearly have a unique and special relationship.”
Stubbs continued, “Cruz Hewitt has a qualifying wild card into the Australian Open, so what better preparation than to go against the defending champion who is going to teach you so much about how to be a better tennis player on court? Why wouldn’t you hit with him.
“Clearly Darren said does Cruz want to hit with Jannik on Centre Court. Of course, Lleyton is going to say yes to that. That is an opportunity any kid would want. To give the guy s*** on social media and go after him is not a joke. If you want to joke, you call his Dad or call him, because I’m pretty sure you have either of their numbers. You don’t give him shit on a public forum, that’s embarrassing to him. He just doesn’t know how to stop and learn to be an adult in these situations.”
How did Cruz Hewitt do in Australian Open qualifying?
Teenager Cruz Hewitt received a wildcard for Australian Open qualifying for the first time in his career in 2025.
The Australian hopeful was trying to replicate his father, Lleyton Hewitt, who had qualified for his home Grand Slam tournament as a 15-year-old back in 1997.
However, it was not meant to be, with Cruz Hewitt losing in the first round of qualifying to former top 20 ranked player Nikoloz Basilashvili.
COME ON 💪@cruzhewitt #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/EECRwSOmZF
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 7, 2025
View Tweet
However, the 2025 Australian Open is not over just yet for the young talent, as he will also compete in the junior tournament.
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