Against Rafa and Djokovic, you have to play 100% all the time – Diego Schwartzman

There is no doubt that one has to be at the top of his game if he is to go past players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Even a hint of complacency can be lethal against top players like Rafael and Novak and Argentine player Diego Schwartzman is aware of the same.

The ATP finals 2020 is all set to begin from November 15 and Schwartzman will be part of the Elite 8 as he had occupied his career-best ranking of eight back in October. The Argentine revealed he will have to play at 100% if he has to go past players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

There is no room for any kind of leniency against the top players and Schwartzman understands the same. It is imperative to keep a high energy throughout the whole game if one has to topple the big players.

“I have to be one hundred percent to beat the Top Ten. If you are not like this it is very difficult to compete at the height of them,” Schwartzman said. 

“That’s why I separate them a bit. Against Rafa and Djokovic you have to play 100% the whole game. As soon as you have an ups and downs they find a crack and come out of the problem that you can generate,” Schwartzman expressed.

He compared it to an arm-wrestling match. “It’s like arm-wrestling that you win quickly,” the 28-year-old added.

Meanwhile, Diego’s recent experience will also help him a lot. The talented player had gone past Rafael Nadal in the Italian Open as he had won the quarterfinals by 6-2. 7-5. The right-hander was at the top of his game and had reaped rewards for the same. However, he could cross the last hurdle against Novak Djokovic as he was beaten 7-5, 6-3.

Subsequently, Nadal got his revenge against Diego Schwartzman as the king of clay defeated the Argentine in the semifinals of the French Open. Thus, Schwartzman knows what it takes to play against the top two players of the current era.