Nadal & Ronaldo are pure effort, but Roger Federer & Messi work hard too: Argentine bowling champion

Roger Federer is widely believed to not only be the greatest men's singles player of all time, but also one of the world's biggest sporting idols ever. With an elegant style of play and a squeaky clean off-court image, the Swiss has come to be adored by fans and revered by rivals alike.

But a question is often raised when Roger Federer is discussed among sports fans - how much of his success is due to his natural talent, and how much due to his work ethic?

The perplexing question was tackled by Argentine 10-pin bowler Lucas Legnani recently, who appeared in the 'Derribando Obstaculos' videocast by the radio program ADN Deportivo. Legnani compared the Roger Federer example to the likes of Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo, and asserted that the Swiss puts in his own share of hard work.

Roger Federer had many doors that he could open the correct way: Lucas Legnani

Roger Federer at 2020 Australian Open

Lucas Legnani is a highly successful athlete in his field, having been a bronze medalist at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But in addition to bowling, Legnani is a huge fan of tennis and football as well.

While talking about the combination of natural talent, work ethic and marketing that has gone into making Roger Federer the icon that he is, Legnani cited the case of Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is a prime example of dedication and hard work, as evidenced by his ascent to the top despite not having as much natural talent as Lionel Messi.

"While Messi had fewer doors to open to become the great player he is maybe, you realize that there is a lack of access to understanding," Legnani said. "People like to say Ronaldo is a phenomenon because of his marketability; yet it is not marketing, the kid is really a beast. A parallel example of it in tennis is Rafael Nadal."

🗣@LLBS_Bowling en “Derribando Obstáculos” 💬”El paralelo de @RafaelNadal es @Cristiano no son marketing son puro esfuerzo y dedicación, esto no quiere decir que #Messi y @rogerfederer no lo hayan hecho”

— ADN Deportivo (en 🏠) (@Adndeportivo20) July 30, 2020

Further expanding on the relationship between talent and work ethic when it comes to tennis stars like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the Argentinian said:

"Rafa has plenty of talent today because he discovered it along the way. But the truth is that the road was physical for him, a path where the guy had to work incredibly hard. Rafa and Cristiano they are not just marketing, they are pure effort and dedication."

Legnani also dispelled the notion that gifted athletes like Roger Federer and Lionel Messi don't have to work for their success. The Argentine explained that while Federer and Messi may have got more opportunities early on because of their in-born gifts, they still had to make the most of them.

"However, this does not mean Roger Federer and Lionel Messi don't work hard," Legnani added. "Federer and Messi arrived because they are simply talented. The two had many doors that they had to open the correct way and many more that they could open in order to get there."

Roger Federer is the best at handling emotions: Lucas Legnani

Roger Federer

Legnani also spoke about the frustrations that an athlete goes through when they are having a bad day or performing below expectations. When asked to name the sportsperson who is the best at handling their emotions, the Argentine answered Federer without any hestitation.

"For me, Roger Federer," the Argentine said. "Everyone in tennis breaks racquets as if they have own a factory of racquets. But if you see Roger Federer he never breaks racquets, not even close to it. I know he uses the fight inside him for something really important on court."

Legnani also talked about how good Roger Federer is at compartmentalizing his errors. The Argentine believes Federer is a master at forgetting what happened on the last point and focusing instead on the next one.

"It is inevitable to break racquets for tennis players when they see nothing working for them. But Federer automatically focuses on what is next because if not, if you keep dragging what happened earlier, it is useless," Legnani said.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Roger Federer has kept his emotions under control for the most part. He has broken a tennis racquet only once in the last decade and a half, after missing a routine forehand against Novak Djokovic at Miami 2009.