‘Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and then the cricketers would be Sir Viv Richards and Sachin sir. Those are the four legends I would love to sit with and have dinner with them.’
IMAGE: Shubman Gill sees a bit of his own batting in Carlos Alcaraz’s tennis. Photograph: Wimbledon/Instagram
Key Points
Shubman Gill expressed a desire to partner with Carlos Alcaraz in a doubles match.
Gill’s dream dinner guests include Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sir Viv Richards.
The India ODI and Test captain backed Jannik Sinner to win Wimbledon.
Roger Federer remains Gill’s favourite tennis player, admired for making the sport look effortless, a quality Gill relates to in his own cricket career.
Shubman Gill sees a bit of his own batting in Carlos Alcaraz’s tennis, with the India Test and ODI captain comparing the Spaniard’s deceptive drop shot to his trademark short-arm jab.
Gill, who watched the men’s semi-finals at Wimbledon on Friday, also spoke about his admiration for the great Roger Federer and revealed the sporting legends he would invite for a dream dinner.
Alcaraz’s drop shot is widely considered one of the most effective and revolutionary variety tactics in modern tennis while Gill routinely employs the short-arm jab against short-pitched deliveries.
“The drop shot that Alcaraz plays, it reminds me of the short-arm jab in cricket. I play that shot too, it’s my trademark shot. Quick, deceptive, and very effective,” Gill said on JioStar.
Gill’s Dream Dinner Guests
Gill named Serena Williams, Federer and cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and West Indies batting great Viv Richards as his dream dinner guests.
“Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and then the cricketers would be Sir Viv Richards and Sachin sir. Those are the four legends I would love to sit with and have dinner with them.
“I think the conversations would be incredible. They have all dominated their eras and have so much to share about their journeys. It would be a dream dinner.”
Backing Sinner for Wimbledon
The India skipper also backed Sinner to emerge champion at the All England Club.
“I’m backing Sinner to win Wimbledon. He is a fantastic player, and he carries himself really well both on and off the court.”
Admiration for Federer
Gill said Federer remains his favourite tennis player, explaining that the Swiss maestro’s apparent ease masked years of hard work.
“Roger Federer is my favourite. Growing up, a lot of people said he made everything look effortless. But when you play a sport yourself, you realise how much work goes into making it look that way.
“People have called me effortless in cricket too, but I know the effort behind it. The elegance and grace Federer played with was special, and that is why I admire him.”
Asked which tennis player he would like to partner in a doubles match, Gill picked Alcaraz. “He looks like someone who really enjoys himself on the court. It would be fun to play alongside him. I don’t know the details, but I think I can hold my own in tennis, so that would be a fun match.”