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NHL star Lars Eller recently met Rafael Nadal during the 2021 Citi Open in Washington and gifted the Spaniard a Washington Capitals jersey with the Mallorcan’s name and No. 21 on the back.
Eller, a Stanley Cup-winning player, claimed it was "great" to meet Nadal and revealed they talked about ice hockey and tennis. The 32-year-old also lavished praise on the Spaniard's greatest rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
"It was great meeting him," Eller was quoted as saying by Washington City Paper. "We had a really good talk about both hockey and tennis. It was a tremendous experience to have had the chance to meet and talk to him for a bit."
Eller further claimed he enjoys playing and watching tennis in his free time. As such, he considers Nadal's presence in Washington a "blessing."
“It’s a sport I very much enjoy playing in my free time and also watching,” Eller said. "Especially having Nadal and this level of talent here, it’s a blessing to the city if you’re a tennis fan. We’ve got a Capitals jersey for him that I’m happy to hand over.”
The Dane then went on to heap praise on Roger Federer, mentioning how he admires the Swiss in all aspects. Eller admitted to being an admirer of Federer and Nadal's "humble personalities" and their continued dominance in the sport.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching Federer," continued the Dane. "I think he’s just amazing on so many levels. I admire him as a person [and] as an athlete. But the same thing with Nadal. I really admire their humble personalities, and the fact that they’ve been able to stay on top of their sport for so many years—you know, decades."
The NHL star also included Novak Djokovic in the discussion and asserted that the Big 3 are the best players of all time.
"I think that’s the most impressive thing, to have them playing, [Novak] Djokovic, all three of them in the same era," Eller added. "I think arguably the best three players of all time, so having to see them battle it out at every Grand Slam is special.”
Rafael Nadal's 2008 Wimbledon win over Roger Federer is one of the best matches of all time: Lars Eller
Washington Capitals star Lars Eller also spoke about the 2008 Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, which many regard as the greatest tennis match of all time.
Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 to lift his maiden Wimbledon title. Eller, on his part, firmly believes that the Nadal-Federer clash is one of the greatest matches in the history of sport, not just tennis.
“(The 2008 Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer is) one of the best sports games of all time,” Eller said.
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