There’s nothing quite as beautiful as watching Roger Federer play tennis. They say if you close your eyes and ask someone to describe the Swiss legend’s movements and actions on court, you would think they’re describing someone performing at a dance recital. That’s how elegant he was on court. More than the 20 Grand Slams and the countless other milestones he achieved during his time on tour, it’s the pleasure of watching him play that people miss the most. 

When Federer announced the 2022 Laver Cup would be his last ever professional tournament, he broke millions of hearts. While the void he’s left in the ATP Tour in the wake of his departure will never be filled, there are rumors that a Canadian young gun might just give it a shot. No, it’s not Denis Shapovalov or Felix Auger-Aliassime. In fact, it’s Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll.

Could Lance Stroll follow in Roger Federer’s footsteps?

The first half of the F1 season couldn’t have been more different for the two Aston Martin drivers. While Stroll’s veteran teammate, 42-year-old Fernando Alonso, secured podium after podium every chance he got, Lance Stroll’s best finish has been one P4. With a difference of 102 points between them, the picture couldn’t be clearer. The thing is, money can only get you so far. In 2017, $3.7 billion-worth Lawrence Stroll (Lance’s father and the owner of Aston Martin) chipped in $100 million to get his son into F1. It hasn’t paid dividends, and Stroll Jr. might be looking at a career change.

As per The Race’s podcast, “There’s been some rumors floating around that he’s considering a switch to tennis.” Although it’s unclear where Stroll’s heart lies—in tennis or F1—there’s one thing that might prevent him from making a name for himself on the ATP Tour. That aspect of the game was mastered by Roger Federer. If there’s one groundstroke that every tennis watcher would unequivocally agree is the most elegant, it’s Federer’s single-handed backhand. While many players like Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas have taken inspiration from and have come close to mastering it themselves, Stroll never got around to doing so. That’s his Achilles heel. 

During the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, then-rookie Stroll went to London to witness all the action in the O2 Arena. In an interview, he was asked about his association with tennis. The Canadian said, “I love watching tennis. I know all about tennis. I watch all the tournaments and keep up with everything that’s going on. My biggest issue at the moment is my backhand. So I’m working on it. But it’s getting there. I love to play.”

Read More: “Fernando Is Faster Than Me”: Amid Sacking Rumors, Lance Stroll Issues Shocking Statement About Alonso

When further asked if he had a single-handed backhand, he said yes. As much as Stroll would’ve loved for his backhand to be compared to Federer’s, his teammate beat him to the Federer comparison.

Fernando Alonso’s season received high praise in comparison to Roger Federer

If you think Fernando Alonso’s backhand is similar to Federer’s, that’s not the case. Although the Spaniard does play tennis occasionally, it was his 2023 season that brought up similarities with Federer. After a knee injury in 2016, the Swiss Maestro took a six-month sabbatical to recover and came back stronger than ever. In 2017 and 2018, he won 11 titles, three of which were Grand Slams. As a resurging veteran, he was considerably older than most players on tour. Despite this, he showed his class and outperformed most of them in the final seasons of his career.

While 2017 and 2018 weren’t seasons Alonso might want to remember from his F1 career, we’re witnessing a Federer-esque comeback from the Spaniard this season. F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi feels so, too. In an interview with Motorsport.com, Fittipaldi said, “You have to have the motivation to compete and the motivation to win. And Fernando is extremely competitive. I compare him to Roger Federer. The last two years, when he came back strong, he was much older than most of the other players. That’s the mentality to win, the mentality and the motivation. And Fernando is a good example.”

Do you think Lance Stroll has what it takes to master the Roger Federer backhand and make a name for himself in the ATP Tour?

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