Successful athletes always attract a lot of attention from viewers: they are loved and discussed, their lives are watched, something big, significant and not related to sports is named in their honor. This surprising trend also applies to legendary tennis players: streets, planes, houses and even insects are named after them.
Federer Street
Naming an avenue or street after a famous athlete is perhaps the most common way to recognize an athlete’s achievements. In Germany they decided to highlight the successes of the 20-time TBS winner, Roger Federer. Halle tournament organizers helped have the alley leading to their courts named after Roger. The tennis player himself won these German competitions 10 times!
Of course, it would be logical for one of the streets in Basel, Roger’s hometown, to be named after him. However, the Swiss authorities are not prepared now to take that step.
“Basel’s policy is that only deceased people can have a square or a street named after them in this way,” Basel surveyor Paul Haffner told Reuters.
Roger Federer
Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Nadal’s hotel room
From the Big Three, all participants received their recognition. Rafael Nadal, for example, like Federer, had a street dedicated to him. Only, unlike Roger, Rafa received such an unusual gift in his homeland, in Mallorca. At the same time, the tennis player received the title of “Honorary Resident” of the Spanish city of San Lorenzo.
Nadal’s name was used in another unusual way: he was assigned to a hotel room in Monaco. One of the suites at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort is named after Rafa. The hotel director, Frederic Darren, explained this decision in a conversation with the press service of the tournament in Monte Carlo.
“Rafael Nadal is our welcome guest, we always love him and wait for him at our hotel. He embodies all the values that we value highly in various professions: modesty, simplicity, constant development.”
Rafael Nadal
Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Djokovic’s plane and snail
Novak received awards for achievements a little more unusual than those of Roger and Rafa. Firstly, in 2013, Air Serbia used the Serbian name. From that moment on, one of the Airbus A319 flies proudly under the name of Novak Djokovic.
An even more unusual case of naming a Serbian tennis player occurred in 2021, when a new species of freshwater snail was named after him. The snail is named after Djokovic because of his “energy and enthusiasm.” According to the researchers, it was the type of energy Novak had that the snails needed to reach their hard-to-reach habitats.
Novak Djokovic
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Williams Building and flowers.
Serena Williams, a 23-time TBS champion, has been recognized several times for her sporting achievements. First in 2014. After the American’s fifth victory in the WTA finals, an entire subspecies of flowers was named in her honor. Now the name Dendrobium Serena Williams is carried by a variety of orchids bred by Singapore breeders. After that Final Final, Serena received her personalized flowers from her.
In 2017, Williams Jr. was recognized by her sponsor Nike. The company dedicated a new, larger office building at its headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, to the tennis player.
Serena Williams
Photo: Elsa/Getty Images
lacoste clothing
The century-old story of Frenchman Jean René Lacoste is a little different from the stories of Djokovic, Nadal or Williams. However, it definitely deserves attention.
René Lacoste played in the 20s of the last century. During his career, he won 10 TSBs and won Olympic pairs bronze. He was also number one in the world. However, Lacoste is remembered not only for his professional successes. He modernized the tennis uniform: he introduced polo shirts and, on this basis, created his own clothing brand and called it after his last name.
Today, the Lacoste brand is still afloat, dressing top players such as Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev and remembering its successful founding tennis player.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS