Tennis players and Harry Potter characters - Striking similarities

If you are a kid who grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s, you are possibly affected by Harry Potter. As Harry grew into a fine young wizard to defeat Lord Voldemort, we grew from being boys and girls to men and women. It is quite impossible for a Harry Potter fan not to relate each and every thing he sees with the historic series.

So when I looked into it, I found some similarities between Harry Potter characters and tennis players. These might be borderline acceptable at times and totally ridiculous at others, but if you are a tennis and Harry Potter fan, you will find it in yourself to accept them.

Roger Federer and Albus Dumbledore

Federer and Dumbledore – Powerful and Elegant

Albus Dumbledore is the best wizard in the world and Roger Federer is possibly the best wizard in the tennis world. Just as Hogwarts would be incomplete without Dumbledore, the world of tennis would have a huge void without Federer.

Both Dumbledore and Federer are the ‘epitome of greatness and goodness.’ You cannot find a flaw in either of them. They have an aura of calmness and composure in them and they rarely express emotions of fear or anger. They both speak in a calm but a firm voice and when they speak, everyone listens.

And of course, both of them could be a little arrogant. But they don’t realize that they are being arrogant.

Rafael Nadal and Harry Potter

Courageous and Caring

Kind of an obvious comparison, isn’t it? Both Harry and Rafa are not the most graceful people, but they are what they are. Brave, loyal and hardworking are the traits that I find in common between Harry Potter and Rafael Nadal.

Courage is the perfect word for both of them. You do not go into the Department of Mysteries based on what your mortal enemy told you to save your Godfather if you don’t have courage. You don’t stand tall and play titanic 5-hour and 6-hour marathon matches if you don’t have courage.

Both are very considerate and give importance to others. Despite winning a marathon match against Federer, Nadal came out and appreciated his rival before even acknowledging his win. Harry, on the other hand, has never used the Cruciatus curse to protect himself, but used it on Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape after they killed the people he loved.

Novak Djokovic and Ronald Weasley

Funny ones yet Important

They are a bit immature, funny and keep making wisecracks. Although talented, they were always overshadowed by their contemporaries. But as time progressed, they became rather important.

Djokovic was always living in the shadows of Federer and Nadal. Ron obviously was the third wheel in the trio of him, Harry and Hermione. But as time progressed, Nole broke away and had a hand over both Federer and Nadal. Similarly, in the later books, Ron’s importance grows heavily. He is much more street-smart than Harry or Hermione, and helps them out quite often. It was him who suggested the use of Felix Felicis to obtain Slughorn’s memory, and it was him who suggested the idea of Basilisk’s fang.

And we know about the impersonations. Djoker, as he is famously known, has imitated almost all famous faces in tennis. Ron, on the other hand, has imitated the voice of many people like Peter Pettigrew and also Harry’s Parseltongue.

Andy Murray and Neville Longbottom

Victorious – When it matters the most

Clumsy and shy in their early years, they have proven to us that bravery can be found when it matters the most. Time after time, Murray stood stone-faced just accepting that he was second best. But when his time came, he went in there, bravely!

Nobody expected him to break down in the finals of Wimbledon last year but when he did, you simply knew that the streak was going to end. Britain was going to get a Grand Slam champion. And that is what happened. Murray went to the same place against the same opponent just three weeks later and came back victorious. A few months later, he won the US Open, ending Britain’s age old search for a Grand Slam champion.

Neville Longbottom was insecure; he was scared. But as time progressed, he became strong-willed. Neville is arguably one of Dumbledore Army’s most courageous members. When it mattered the most, Neville stood up against the person who tormented him, the person who was responsible for the death of his parents. In the final battle, it was Neville who destroyed the seventh and final Horcrux, beheading Nagini.

Steffi Graf and Hermione Granger

Genius and rebels

The beginnings of both Graf and Hermione were similar. Hermione was born in a regular family to parents who were dentists. She had no connection to the wizarding world. Steffi Graf’s beginnings too were very humble. Her father was an ordinary insurance salesman and her mother was a housewife. She had no connection to the world of tennis.

But as soon as Hermione and Graf set foot in their respective worlds, we knew that they were going to stand apart.

Hermione was exceptionally talented for her age. She was well-versed in magical aptitude, non-verbal magic, duelling, charms, potions, transfiguration and was borderline genius.

Similarly, Steffi Graf too was winning Grand Slams and running over everyone when she was only 19. After a second straight defeat at the hands of Graf at Wimbledon, Martina Navratilova claimed, “I don’t know how much more she can improve.” Claycourt, hardcourt, grasscourt – the surface didn’t matter. The opponents didn’t matter. Steffi Graf was, and is, probably the greatest women’s tennis player of all time.

And, after the end, they both become loving mothers who care for their children.

Andy Roddick and Draco Malfoy

Finished second

Okay, let us keep out the villainous part of Draco Malfoy aside and proceed.

The first similarity is that they both are outspoken. You do not see Draco Malfoy keeping mum for a single moment in the entire book series. Similarly, Andy Roddick is the most spontaneous tennis player of our times.

They are also constantly outmatched by their bitter and direct rivals. And of course, they are known for their arrogant outbursts. Roddick has been often warned for his swearing against chair umpires. He once famously said, “You’re an idiot! Stay in school, kids, or you’ll end up being an umpire” to an umpire on-court. Malfoy, too, is famous for his arrogance. Despite Hagrid’s repeated warnings, Malfoy arrogantly tested Buckbeak’s sensitivity, which led to its death sentence.

And both of them are known for their killer looks.

So this is what I think are some similarities between Harry Potter characters and tennis players. Do you think I missed something? Please do mention them in the comments section.