"I really wanted to catch him before he retired" - Stefanos Tsitsipas speaks on fulfilled dream of facing idol Roger Federer on tour
ATPThursday, 30 January 2025 at 18:08
Tennis legend Roger Federer inspired thousands during his illustrious career, and former World No.3 revealed his aspirations to face the Swiss Maestro before his retirement.
Tsitsipas burst onto the tennis scene towards the end of the 2010's, while Federer was still active on tour. The Greek star would reach his first Grand Slam semifinal in 2019, before claiming the biggest title of his career when he captured the year-ending ATP Finals trophy that same year.
Playing against Federer was a dream come true, says Tsitsipas
The 26-year old has made it known that Federer was his idol growing up, and admitted he was looking forward to the day when he would face the 20-time Grad Slam champion on the court.
“Roger Federer was my idol. I really wanted to catch him before he retired. It’s true. I have never really disclosed that before,” he told the Tennis Insider Club podcast. "But I knew I was in a tricky phase with the top three still playing but them not being the youngest any more.
“So I was like at least I want to play the top three before they retire or stop, so I wanted to be in a good situation ranking-wise to do that. These were the guys, these were the reasons I wanted to be the best in tennis because I saw them play on TV and I really wanted to see how it feels being like them."
“So I was like at least I want to play the top three before they retire or stop, so I wanted to be in a good situation ranking-wise to do that. These were the guys, these were the reasons I wanted to be the best in tennis because I saw them play on TV and I really wanted to see how it feels being like them."
Tsitsipas faced Federer on four different occasions, with each match occurring in 2019. Each man won two meetings, with the Greek star prevailing at the Australian Open and the semifinals of the ATP Finals. Federer would emerge victorious in Dubai and at the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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