Gavaskar backs Djokovic, draws Pant-Alcaraz parallel; Pant calls Federer his all-time favourite

Sunil Gavaskar shared his Wimbledon favourites and compared Alcaraz to Rishabh Pant for their flair and unpredictability. Rishabh Pant, attending Wimbledon, named Roger Federer as his all-time favourite and spoke about the inspiration and mindset that tennis offers.

Hyderabad: Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar said every time he was in England around this time, he would go to Wimbledon, but he hardly went to Lord’s if India wasin’t playing there.

“So yes, one could say that I come here more often than I go to Lord’s. I would like Djokovic to win because it would be his 25th Grand Slam title. Nobody has ever won 25 majors, so that would be fantastic. My heart says Djokovic, but I guess my mind says Alcaraz.,” Gavaskar said in an interaction with Star Sports and JioHotstar.

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” Also, Alcaraz, simply because I think Sinner is injured. Whether he’s going to be 100% for the remainder of the tournament, we don’t know,” the former India opener said.

Drawing an interesting comparison between Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant and Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, Gavaskar said Alcaraz was moving around so well, and he’s got all the shots in the book.

“He can be a bit of a showman sometimes, trying those drop shots when you think he should be finishing the point,” he said.

“But that’s what people come to watch, it’s like watching Rishabh Pant. With Pant, you have to expect the unexpected. Similarly, with Alcaraz, you have got to expect the unexpected. That’s what makes him so exciting,” Gavaskar explained.

Speaking about what drew him to Wimbledon, Rishabh Pant said a lot of things.

“The first thing that comes to mind is excitement. You want to experience something as a fan as well, because we are always playing cricket. But here, you get to watch someone who can inspire you. That inspiration comes from athletes, the kind who play tennis,” he said.

“It’s amazing. And I finally get to dress well! We are usually in shorts and t-shirts, so wearing a suit feels good sometimes,” Pant said.

On his all-time favourite tennis player, Pant said It had to be Roger Federer.

“His backhand, I would watch it again and again. That was something that really brought me to the court,” the India wicketkeeper said.

“From the current players in this year’s Wimbledon, I really like the new generation. Alcaraz is amazing, the kind of fight he showed in the French Open was incredible,” Pant said.

” Even when you are in a tough spot, he showed you can still fight back, and he actually won! That was so inspiring. I also like Jannik Sinner. These two are the ones I’m really looking forward to watching,” he said.

Reflecting on what cricket and tennis have in common at the highest level, Pant explained that one thing he would take is mindset.

“You can play any sport, but if your mindset isn’t right, you can’t make it to the top. That’s the difference between a good player and an excellent one. It sets you apart,”he said.