A legacy is engraved into the minds of others and into the stories they share about legends. This is the story of a 44-year-old Argentine coach and former player who makes an emotional confession about how Roger Federer‘s absence is deeply felt in the world of tennis. Let’s find out what he has to say about the Swiss Maestro.

Roger Federer brought an end to his astonishing career last year but his aura is still felt among his admirers. During his 24-year tenure of becoming a professional player, he has won a total of 103 titles including 20 Grand Slam triumphs.  Federer’s impact on the game was huge and his humble nature made him quite different from others. Here’s what the Argentine said about the Swiss icon.

Roger Federer’s absence is deeply felt by the Argentine

Dante Bottini recently spoke with ‘LA NACION’ where he recalled his time with Roger Federer. Although Bottini has met several superstars of the game, he feels Federer had a different aura. An aura that automatically drew love and respect towards him. The Argentine then went on to add how humble Federer was on and off the field. So, his absence is always felt by those who used to be around him. 

Bottini said, “He was a different player. He is the one who made the change after the time of Sampras and Agassi. I don’t know how to explain it, but the tournaments were different when Roger was there. Tennis continues, but when he entered the locker room he was a presence…, people were a little speechless, they looked at him.”

Bottini continued to add, “The guy had a presence… he commanded respect by walking, not just playing tennis. Afterwards, he was a normal, fun guy, with a sense of humor. A phenomenon. If you trained with him for the first time he would ask you questions and then he would know things about you. It was incredible.” His words went on to clearly sum up the kind of human Federer is. 

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Bottini also recalled his last conversation with Roger Federer. He reveals how fascinated he was to see the legend remember even the tiniest of moments from his humongous career.

When Bottini and Federer played in the same tournament

During his interview, Dante Bottini revealed Roger Federer’s curiosity about Argentina. He said Federer wanted to know his religion and made reference to how Argentinians play on the court. Bottini went on to remind him of the moments from 1997 when they both participated in Italy’s Prato International as juniors. The Italian showed him the tournament draw and told him how close they were to facing each other. To his utter surprise, Federer remembered everything from that tournament. He even recalled his triumphs from that event and said that his promotion began from there.

Federer became the Wimbledon Junior Champion in 1998 and then went on to win his first major singles title 5 years later at the age of 21. The legacy of Roger Federer is going to be remembered for generation after generation. But if asked to single out a memorable moment from his astounding career, which one would be your pick?

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