David Nalbandian who shared a close rivalry with Roger Federer stated that he did not give too much respect to the Swiss maestro when they faced each other.
David Nalbandian is a former Argentine tennis player whose career stretched from 2000 to 2013. He reached his highest ranking of No.3 in March 2003. His best results at the Grand Slams came at the 2002 Wimbledon Open where he finished as the runners-up and also reached the semifinals of the other three Grand Slams.
David Nalbandia had an impressive head-to-head record against Roger Federer. They have faced each other 19 times out of which he won 8 of them. The most fascinating thing is that David is the only player to beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in the same tournament.
In a recent interview with Punto De Break, the 41-year-old expressed that he did not give a lot of respect to Roger Federer on the court. He boasts that his style of play is the key to success against the Swiss.
He thinks that the young players today give too much respect when they play against any of the ‘Big Three’ players and end up losing the big matches.
“Neither he towards me nor I towards him had that respect that young players now have when they have Roger Federer or any other member of the Big3 in front of them. When you enter the court without that excessive respect, you already have one more chance. Also, I think that the type of game that I had at that time he didn’t like, that’s why I managed to get him into a ball. That was what helped me beat him so many times.”
-David Nalbandian in the interview
David Nalbandian has a unique feat against the Big 3
Argentine player David Nalbandian has a unique record that no other player in the world has been able to achieve to date.
He has beaten the Big 3 of tennis in consecutive matches. It was the 2007 Madrid Masters where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal, Novak Djokovic in the semifinal, and Roger Federer in the final and eventually lifted the trophy. The record is not only unique but it is something he is really proud of.
It is something different from any other tournament because nobody could do it, it is something unique. It seems to me that no one will be able to do it anymore because, even if I beat these three, they will no longer be with that ranking. That was epic, maybe that’s why it stands out the most.
-David Nalbandian
