Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates victory following his Men's Singles third round match against Lucas Pouille of France during Day six of The Championships - Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Playing against Roger Federer is one of the most daunting yet special experiences for any tennis player. Stepping on the court across the 20-time Grand Slam champion and witnessing the genius at work is surely an extraordinary feeling.
Among millions of his admirers, Federer has found a new fan in the name of Lorenzo Musetti, an Italian tennis player. The teenager made his debut on the tour last year and made headlines when he defeated Stan Wawrinka in straight sets in the first round at the 2020 Italian Open.
Recently, during an interview with Corriere Della Sera, Musetti was asked the most intense emotion he has experienced so far in his career. Musetti talked about the excitement he had felt when he warmed up with Federer at the Australian Open last year.
Having watched the Swiss Maestros’s exploits at Wimbledon Championships over the years, Musetti hailed Federer as his inspiration.
“Warming up Federer at the Australian Open last year. ‘Hi, I’m Roger’, he makes me enter the field. But go? I played tennis because as a child I saw him on TV dressed in snow white in the green of Wimbledon,” said Musetti.
Interestingly, Musetti won the juniors championship at the 2019 Australian Open. Currently, he is in Doha competing at the qualifiers for the upcoming Australian Open.
Sadly, the six-time Australian Open champion Federer has withdrawn from this year’s first Grand Slam event. The 39-year-old had undergone knee surgery last year and hasn’t played a single match in almost twelve months.
Unfortunately, Federer’s recovery process had been going behind schedule, hence he decided not to compete at Melbourne Park. However, the former World No.1 hopes to find full fitness in the coming months and make a comeback after the Australian Open.