Years have gone by but the memories of the peak days of Roger Federer remain etched in the memories of every tennis fan. Such was his greatness that the Swiss maestro won over fans in every part of the world. However, rising to fame has its share of negatives too. While he won huge praise, Federer was closely monitored by his critics. Recently, former Chilean ATP star, Fernando Gonzalez, turned back time to make a shocking revelation about Federer.

Gonzalez once proclaimed to be the best in the world. However, he had a torrid time playing against Federer. Here’s what he said about the Swiss maestro.

Fernando Gonzalez digs into the childhood of Roger Federer

Recently, the 43-year-old was involved in an interview with TNT Sports where he was featured in the ‘Sabor a Gol’ show. During that conversation, he talked about Federer’s childhood.

Opening up about this, he said, “Roger Federer was a bad tennis player. I’ve known Roger since I was 12, 13 years old, and at that age he was bad. I remember in an U-14 tournament, when I was the best in the world in that category, Federer was definitely not one of the good ones.”

Further, he went on to add, “Besides, he was a year younger, which at that age is very noticeable. He approached me and asked me questions. I got on very well with him and we went everywhere together.”

Gonzalez had one of the worst records against Federer. He was among the ones who lost the most times against the Swiss maestro.

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The one-sided rivalry between Federer and Gonzalez

Although the Chilean tennis star was critical of Federer, he had a poor record while facing him. The two played against each other on 13 occasions. Federer completely dominated their rivalry, winning in 12 of them. Gonzalez’s only win came at the Tennis Master Cup in China, now known as the Shanghai Masters.

Despite their rivalry and Gonzalez’s recent revelation about Federer, the two enjoyed a good time off the court at the tournaments. What do you think about the Chilean star’s massive statement on Federer’s childhood? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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