Photo by Tom Jenkins/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy is at the pinnacle of his sport, just like Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were during their prime years.
McIlroy has won 30 PGA Tour titles, 21 DP World Tour trophies and has six major championship victories to his name.
The Northern Irishman is one of only six men who have completed the career Grand Slam, and he will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest ever to have graced the game of golf.
Interestingly though, McIlroy has just named tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal as his two sporting idols.
Federer won 103 ATP singles titles including 20 Grand Slams, while Nadal won 92 ATP Tour singles titles, with 22 Grand Slams to his name.
However, McIlroy was mightily impressed with the manner in which both players carried themselves on the court more than anything else during their playing days.
Rory McIlroy says Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer are his sporting idols
McIlroy spoke to the media in Dubai after his opening-round 69 at the DP World Tour Championship on Thursday.
The Northern Irishman was asked whether there was someone he looked up to and idolized in the game as he was coming through the ranks as a youngster.
And interestingly, McIlroy named two tennis legends as his sporting idols.
“Not necessarily. I probably looked at other sports to see how some people carried themselves,“ McIlroy admitted.
Photo by Tom Jenkins/Getty Images
“I’m a massive tennis fan, and the way Roger and Rafa both carried themselves on the tennis court, you know, Rafa’s never broken a racket in his life. Roger was a bit of a hothead early on in his career but learned how to harness that energy and turn it into positive things for him on the court.
“I think those two in particular, just watching as a fan over the years, they’ve had a big impact on how I have tried to approach my sport and my game and my attitude whenever I’m playing.“
It’s fair to say that Rory McIlroy could not have picked two better idols than Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.
In turn, McIlroy has since gone on to become a true sporting icon himself over the past 15 years, and there will be plenty of young players who look up to him as they make their way through the ranks.
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Esta notĂcia foi originalmente publicada em: Fonte original