Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expresses his admiration for Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, describing them as the “three geniuses” of tennis.
Nadal, at 38 years old, is set to retire after the upcoming Davis Cup finals in Malaga, concluding a remarkable career with 22 Grand Slam titles – including 14 French Open victories.
Prior to his retirement, Nadal will face Djokovic in what will be their final match at the Six Kings Slam this Saturday, airing live on Sky Sports.
Guardiola admits feeling “a little bit sad” upon hearing Nadal’s retirement announcement, but praises the trio who have dominated men’s tennis for the past two decades, collectively winning 66 Grand Slam titles.
“I think it happened because he saw that he cannot be or compete in the level that he had been for two decades, but I admire all of them, all three,” Guardiola told Sky Sports’ new One on One series and podcast.
“I admire the consistency of ‘The Big Three’ every single season being there and never giving up, coming back from the setbacks.
“I admire all of them, so for me they are three geniuses. I tried to learn a lot from their body language, how they behave in the bad moments, how strong they are mentally, and of course the talent and skill.
“I think all three will be missed – but still Novak Djokovic can enjoy it – but the three will be missed.”
Guardiola also shared how he would study the tennis greats to learn how they overcome challenges and adversity.
He added: “I would always pay attention to the way tennis players look at the ball with their eyes and how they behave in certain moments. I also want to see how losers react in the next match.”
Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp have left the Premier League but Pep Guardiola remains
Guardiola has also experienced intense competitions in the Premier League, facing off against managers like Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, and Jurgen Klopp.
Similar to Djokovic’s dominance in tennis, Guardiola stands as the last remaining manager from that prestigious group in the top flight.
“When you are here nine years and then you become the oldest in football…Jurgen is tired, and when you don’t get results you change the manager, so it’s a simple answer for that – we won – otherwise I would not be here,” said the 53-year-old former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.
“Here you have to win. This is the only job where people are demanding desperately to sack you. It’s our profession so you have to accept it.”
Don’t miss our new football series One on One on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel and listen to the podcast – search One on One from Sky Sports.
