I'm a huge fan of puns, especially bad puns. So is ESPN tennis analyst Brad Gilbert. If you've ever listened to Gilbert's tennis commentary or if you follow him on Twitter (@bgtennisnation), you'll notice that he has a nickname for almost every player, most derived from some sort of play on words.
Gilbert, a former pro who later coached the likes of Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray, doesn't have a single formula for creating nicknames, but there are a few general rules he tends to observe. The first is that if a player's name sounds anything remotely like a food or drink, their nickname will almost certainly pay tribute.