SUMMARY
- Adrian Mannarino is enjoying a remarkable run at the Australian Open.
- Fans noticed an uncanny resemblance between him and Zidane.
The first week of the Australian Open has witnessed the best of tennis. As the second week rolls around, a few players have stood out due to their excellence on the court. French star Adrian Mannarino is one such player. However, as brilliant as he has been with a racket, fans have found a similarity between him and soccer icon Zinedine Zidane.
Mannarino has been in scintillating form in Melbourne this year. He has played three marathon five-set matches to book a spot in the fourth round. Mannarino has given tennis fans much to talk about, including the question about his apparent lack of sponsors.
As pressing as the sponsorship issue might be, fans have also made a hilarious connection to another Frenchman. Many believe that there is an uncanny resemblance between Adrian and Zidane.
Zidane in tennis shoes pic.twitter.com/xUO20KYW4H
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 19, 2024
Zidane is one of the most decorated soccer stars of all time. He is widely regarded as one of the best players to ever play the game, leading France to win the FIFA World Cup Final in 1998.
The similarities between Zidane and Mannarino are superficial, but it has given fans something to talk about. Considering Adrian’s recent run of form, he is being referred to as “Zidane in tennis shoes.” One user compared Mannarino defeating Ben Shelton to Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup Final. Here are a few reactions to the comparison.
https://t.co/CeMqZHVbtq pic.twitter.com/xOyv83WMfY
— tennis is life (@BritishTennis12) January 19, 2024
Mannarino vs Shelton pic.twitter.com/wY7Aysw1w3
— Tipsy Tennis (@tipsytennispod) January 19, 2024
ALLEZ ZIZOU
ALLEZ MANNA https://t.co/aLHOPb415s— Euller, o filho do vento (@pkdelas23) January 19, 2024
Adrian Mannarino will hope to continue playing in this vein when he takes on Novak Djokovic next. However, he does not know it yet. The French player has made a habit of finding out his opponent an hour before he is set to play them.
Why does Adrian Mannarino choose to be in the dark about his opponent?
Mannarino has hit his stride since he turned 34 years old. He has won more titles since and is making waves at the Australian Open this year.
Adrian has adopted a policy of not identifying his opponent until about an hour before he is set to play. This is not new on the tour, but many find Mannarino’s approach extreme.
“I don’t think I need to prepare special for these kind of matches. I always try to keep it as long as I can because I just don’t want to think too much,” he said (via ATP Tour).
Adrian Mannarino and Novak Djokovic have clashed four times in the past, and Novak has won all of them. Djokovic is eyeing an 11th title in Melbourne, and he will be Adrian’s most difficult challenge yet. The two of them will lock horns on Sunday, January 21.