Tennis has been a springboard to poker stardom for more than one player over the years. The game has given rise to several professional players who have also turned their hand at poker, and they’re doing pretty well at it! Here are some notable names who’ve had tremendous success in both fields
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal, a 14-time French Open winner, is a world-famous tennis player who also plays poker. He uses his great tennis mind to make important decisions in poker but has yet to make a name for himself in poker as he has on the court.
It’s expected that when Nadal eventually retires from tennis and has more time for poker, you can expect him to be one of the biggest names in online poker!
Boris Becker
If you’ve played games like Ignition Poker, this might be a name you know well! Boris Becker is a three-time Wimbledon winner and a big name among tennis fans. However, his excellence isn’t only limited to tennis.
He is said to also dabble in poker, where he is said to have adjusted well to the pressure and concentration needed in fast-paced poker. His winnings of up to C$111,000 are a testament to this.
He said he had been playing online since 2010 but didn’t know much about it. When asked, he shares that he was surprised by how easy it was when he started playing poker online.
His secret?
Always follow your intuition!
Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen is a Danish poker player who’s been around for a long time. He started playing tennis at age 5, but his career was short-lived, and he never reached any heights in that world. However, it’s not hard to see how he transitioned from tennis to backgammon and then onto poker.
His first tournament was in 2011 when he finished second. Since then, Gus has become one of the most successful players online, with over $3 million in live profits alone!
David Benyamine
David Benyamine was a professional tennis player. He was born on 7 March 1992 in France and is the highest-ranked Israeli tennis player. Since switching to poker, he seems to enjoy the thrilling lifestyle compared to the clay court.
Benyamine had played professionally since 2004, but a chronic shoulder injury led him to take a call to retire from the sport and focus on poker. Well, one sport’s loss was another one’s gain!
Patrik Antonius
Patrik Antonius is a Finnish professional poker player who has been ranked among the top 100 in the world for several years. He began playing poker in 2004 and has become one of the most popular players on PokerStars.
He often plays online, and enthusiasts flock to watch him live or play with him via Skype or other platforms. Generally, he has won over C$12 million in live tournaments, including two WPT titles (one Season 1) and two WSOP bracelets (the Main Event).
He was also a great tennis player but had to retire due to injury problems. After this, he turned his attention towards poker, where he would dominate the market!
Merging the Two Competitive Worlds
Online poker is a big business, and it’s easy to see why. While sports betting is often the only connection most people make linking casinos and tennis, there’s more than meets the eye. Some tennis players have become moderately successful players of online poker as well.
When tennis players switch to poker, they seem to lean on the commitment and discipline taught in tennis. It provides an edge that makes them successful.
A lot more tennis players wet their feet in poker over the recent years as adjustments to the normal, meaning that their tennis games were often canceled. They turned to poker to keep their brains sharp, using their tennis and sports psychology skills to succeed at the tables.
Most of them credit their success on the court with their ability to focus on one thing at a time during matches. In fact, many athletes aiming for success at online games find themselves applying these same techniques when they sit down at their computer screens, looking for some serious action!
Takeaway
Some tennis players have become moderately successful poker players as well. In fact, several top names in the sport have made their mark on the world game through online poker. While seemingly on different levels, tennis and poker do not only share star players but have other things in common too!