With 20 Grand Slam titles under his belt, Roger Federer is undoubtedly one of the best tennis players of all time. However, there was a time in Federer’s life when the Swiss legend faced a major conundrum. This was a result of his abilities on the soccer pitch, which led many to believe that he would play ‘the beautiful game’ one day as a professional.

Ultimately though, Federer chose tennis, and time proved that the decision he took was the right one. But what made Federer choose tennis over soccer? The Swiss maestro recently revealed the answers in a show and they certainly are food for thought for budding athletes

Hatred for losing did not align with soccer’s nature, claims Roger Federer

Over the course of his tennis career, Federer rarely lost. Even when he did lose the odd contest, he was mostly graceful in defeat. However, according to Federer, this was only possible for him because on the court, he only represented himself and not a team. Federer also pointed to the fact that becoming a professional soccer player is time-consuming.

Federer was born in the Swiss city of Basel. The city is home to FC Basel, one of the most successful soccer teams in Switzerland. From a young age, Federer was an avid supporter of the team. It didn’t take him long to start playing soccer and enjoying the sport. In the show, Federer said, “I was strong in football but in this sport you don’t move at the same pace as tennis. It takes longer to become a professional.”

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The Swiss maestro, who still goes to watch FC Basel play, went on to say, “In football (soccer), I’ve always been a bad loser. I often said ‘the goalkeeper really sucked today’ or ‘I can’t believe we lost’. But that’s not fair. If I lose, I’m the only one who has to question myself. So of course, I chose tennis.”

Read More: Billionaire Roger Federer Ashamed of Tennis Over Its Inferiority to Soccer in One Prime Aspect – ‘Our Sport Is Strongly Connected..’

Despite becoming a tennis icon, Federer got a lot of love from the world of soccer

Professional athletes, irrespective of the sports they play, tend to have immense respect for their colleagues. Unsurprisingly, Federer’s achievements as a pro tennis player earned him many admirers who themselves were among soccer’s greats.

After Federer’s retirement from professional tennis in 2022, his admirers from the soccer world spoke up. For instance, Didier Drogba, who most memorably played for English soccer team Chelsea FC, congratulated Federer for being an inspiration. Lionel Messi, arguably the best soccer player ever, also acknowledged Federer’s genius following his retirement.

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