‘Without a doubt, MS Dhoni’: SKY on who would be his tennis doubles partner

New Delhi: India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, who added star presence to Wimbledon, revealed his pick as his doubles partner, choosing former India skipper MS Dhoni for his endurance and mental toughness.

Suryakumar attended the grass court major at the All England Club with his wife Devisha Shetty, for the first time. Wimbledon had also shared a picture of SKY and his wife, captioning it: “Bringing the flair to SW19. Delighted to have you at Wimbledon, Suryakumar Yadav!”

“I watch tennis quite a bit on television. I’ve always heard about the atmosphere around Centre Court, especially the moment you walk in. I am here to experience that surreal feeling in person,” Suryakumar said to Star Sports and JioHotstar.

Asked which cricketer he would pick as a doubles partner, he replied, “Definitely, MS Dhoni. He has got speed, a lot of endurance; he is mentally very tough, and recently, whenever he is not playing cricket, I have seen him playing a lot of tennis. So yes, without a doubt, it would be MS Dhoni.”

Speaking about watching tennis at Wimbledon for the first time and the inspiration behind his suit, he added, “This is my first time here, and I wanted to get everything right. Honestly, my wife really takes care of me. She has been behind me for the last three or four days, helping me decide what to wear to this wonderful tournament. So many people have turned out in numbers, I am one of them, just here to experience the same thing they are.”

The India batter also shared about the which player he was eagerly awaiting to watch, saying, “I have definitely come to watch Novak Djokovic. I have been following his career for a very long time. I even read his book ‘Serve to Win’, which really inspired me. I made my international cricket debut a little later in life, though not quite as late as 30, but I could really relate to his journey and perseverance. The way he keeps going is phenomenal.”

He went on to name Pete Sampras and Roger Federer as his favourite tennis players, past and present. “If we are talking about Wimbledon specifically, then definitely Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. I remember how the crowd would go crazy when either of them turned up here. But my all-time favourite is obviously Novak Djokovic. And currently, I would say Carlos Alcaraz, he has been a wildfire on the court,” said Suryakumar.

The 34-year-old signed off by highlighting the parallels between tennis and cricket. “I feel there are a lot of similarities between cricket and elite tennis. Mental toughness plays a crucial role in both. There is also a lot of endurance involved. In cricket, we keep running the same 20-25 metres repeatedly, and it is similar in tennis as well. So, I would say strong mental resolve and endurance are the two big common factors,’ said Suryakumar.

IANS