"Big fan of Rafael Nadal; I met Novak Djokovic and became a big fan of his" - F1 icon Carlos Sainz on his admiration for players "pushing each other"

Formula One driver Carlos Sainz recently attended the ongoing Monte-Carlo Masters in Monaco and revealed who his favorite tennis player was. He also spoke also about how hard it must be to play tennis at the highest level.

Carlos Sainz is enjoying a successful season this year. He is the only driver in 2024 to finish on the podium at every Grand Prix he has competed in so far, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The 29-year-old Sainz is a big tennis fan and was recently seen at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters. While speaking to Tennis, Sainz expressed his appreciation towards tennis players and spoke about the physicality and fitness levels needed at the highest levels of the sport.

He also talked about how he became a fan of Novak Djokovic after meeting the Serb last year. Sainz said:

"I like athletes when they are pushing each other and, i am a big fan of Rafa(Nadal). I met Djokovic last year at the Ryder Cup and became a big fan of his too."

The Spaniard was seen talking about his love for tennis in a video posted by Tennis on their X (formerly Twitter) account:

Carlos Sainz, on his visit to Monte-Carlo, met World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The 24-time Grand Slam champion asked Sainz if got to play tennis, to which the Spaniard replied:

"My backhand is terrible. My drive is okay and my volley sucks.”

In response, Djokovic cheekily hinted at Rafael Nadal's strong forehand, stating:

“It’s in the Spanish blood to have a better forehand. You know, always relying on the forehand.”

Tennis TV took to its X account to share their light-hearted exchange:

Carlos Sainz even met World No. 2 Jannik Sinner and shared some light moments with him. The F1 driver told the Italian that he was present for his match and was cheering him. The conversation between the two athletes was shared on Monte-Carlo's official X handle. Here you can watch the video:

Sinner, who recently became a Formula 1 ambassador, was thrilled to meet Sainz. While speaking to Tennis Channel, the former said:

“It’s obviously really nice to meet these kinds of people. I’m a Formula 1 fan, and a Ferrari fan even more so it’s nice to have him around here.

“I’m very happy for him, he’s doing an amazing season at the moment. He won one race and he’s one of the most consistent drivers in Formula 1. It was a nice feeling.”

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"Cheer up, legend" - Carlos Sainz shows his support to Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal during the Wimbledon 2022

When Rafael Nadal announced that he wouldn't be able to participate in Roland-Garros 2023, fans and supporters were left heartbroken. Many prominent personalities across the globe came forward to support Nadal during this tough time.

One of them was F1 driver Carlos Sainz. An avid supporter of Nadal, Sainz put on an Instagram story, a photo of Nadal with the caption, "Ánimo LEYENDA! Estamos contigo." This translates to:

"Cheer up LEGEND! We're with you @rafaelnadal!"

The Ferrari driver has always been a fan of Nadal. He earlier said that Rafael Nadal has been a role model for him along with another Spaniard Fernando Alonso. He stated:

“I'm Carlos Sainz. But I have role models: Rafa Nadal, and Alonso for grit. My dad, of course. [He's an] example on and off the field. For his desire to win, for the respect of the opponents."