Did you know, the Spanish Formula One driver, Fernando Alonso, and tennis legend, Roger Federer, share a very striking similarity? And it is not about their greatness in their respective sports. It is to do with the way they taught their fans that age is just a number when it comes to following your passion. It is not a surprise to know that not only tennis fans but other athletes in the sporting world also admire the Swiss Maestro. Recently, a well-known figure in the world of motorsports joined this list as he compared the careers of both Alonso and Federer.
Emerson Fittipaldi draws a comparison between Fernando Alonso and Roger Federer
Every F1 fan has seen Fernando Alonso’s 2023 striking comeback on the racecourse. Emerson Fittipaldi, a Brazilian former F1 driver, in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, compared Alonso’s resurgence and talked about how his determination and motivation to win are just like the former Swiss tennis player. He emphasized how the 41-year-old F1 driver’s ability to bounce back, despite his advanced age, was something he thought to be very comparable to the Swiss ace. Roger Federer performed exceptionally in the years 2017 and 2018, winning three Grand Slam titles.
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He said, “You have to have the motivation to compete and the motivation to win. And Fernando is extremely competitive. I compare him to Roger Federer. The last two years, when he came back strong, he was much older than most of the other players. That’s the mentality to win, the mentality and the motivation. And Fernando is a good example.”
Yet this isn’t the first time the Spanish racing driver has drawn comparisons to the tennis world. He was formerly compared to Rafael Nadal, the Swiss maestro’s fiercest opponent.
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When Alonso was compared to Federer’s rival, Rafael Nadal
Last year, the F1 journalist Matt Clayton talked about how the 41-year-old racing driver is the Nadal of the Formula 1 world. And he detailed how the intimidation that the 22-time Grand Slam champion generates against his opponent is quite similar to the way Alonso scares off his opponents.
WATCH THIS STORY – Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer.
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Additionally, the journalist also expressed how his comparison might just be a lazy Spanish nationalistic ideology. But he surely believed that both the Spanish athletes share the same gladiator mindset.
Do you agree with such comparisons? Let us know in the comments.