Roger Federer brings out his inner child, surprises girls of rooftop tennis fame

The professional tennis has been on hold for the past five months due to the coronavirus pandemic. All over the world, many enthusiasts and tennis lovers have shared interesting videos, showing their skills and gathering compliments from the leading figures of our sport. One of the videos that went viral included two Italian girls, Vittoria and Carola, who hit balls between two rooftops at home in Liguria. Speaking about their favorite players, Vottiria and Carola picked Roger Federer as the one they would love to meet, praising the Swiss and his abilities on the court. Joining forces with Barilla, the 20-time Major champion Roger Federer decided to surprise the girls on the roof on July 10, making Vittoria and Carola erupt in enjoy, screaming and telling her grandmother who is with them out there. Roger stayed on that roof while the girls went to the next one, exchanging shots and having fun before spending time during the lunch. Twenty days later, Federer has made another incredible gesture with Barilla, sending both girls to the Rafa Nadal Academy for the summer camp.

"Personally, for me, that was a very special moment in my career as a tennis player, to surprise a fan or children, like I was able with Carola and Vittoria today. It was great. I have played in many cool places around the world but this is definitely up there for me as a special experience," Roger Federer said.

The Swiss will skip the rest of the 2020 season, undergoing knee surgeries in February and May and preparing for a fresh start in 2021.

In 2016, Federer struggled with the left knee, undergoing surgery in February and playing only seven tournaments, skipping all the action after Wimbledon to rest and start all over in 2017. It was one of the most impressive comebacks, as Federer won 54 out of 59 matches and claimed seven ATP titles, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon, his first Major crowns since 2012! Roger became world no. 1 in February 2018 following the title in Rotterdam, standing at the top of men's tennis at 36 and remaining the main rival of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for the next two years.

After four ATP titles in 2018, Roger added the same number last year, becoming the second player with 100 ATP trophies in the Open era behind Jimmy Connors when he conquered Dubai. Federer squandered two match points against Novak Djokovic in the final at Wimbledon and finished third behind two main rivals, keeping much younger opponents behind him. Roger had opted to skip the ATP Cup, working on the practice court instead and preparing for the Australian Open where he reached the semi-final after hard-fought victories over John Millman and Tennys Sandgren. Novak Djokovic proved to be too strong in the battle for final, beating Roger in straight sets in what was the last official match for the Swiss this year. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/314nNoa