Roger Federer made a big revelation when he said that he once considered becoming a professional soccer player. The 8-time Wimbledon champion stated that he would have definitely played soccer if he didn’t have a passion for tennis.
In an interview to Miami Herald, he had once said: “I was hoping to be a soccer player once upon a time because I liked midfield and scoring goals”. In fact, Roger also claimed that back in the day, a lot of football clubs wanted him.
Though tennis is a passion for Roger, he said that tennis also brings in a lot of forlornness. He said: “Tennis can sometimes be very lonely. You are just there and you are waiting for your matches. There is a lot of waiting to go on for us in the business.” However silver lining for the Swiss has been his family. They have been very supportive of Roger and have been to his crucial matches. In Wimbledon, this season, Roger’s family stayed just a stone throw away. Roger has the biggest support in his wife, Mirka, whom he met during the Sydney Olympics. She has been his pillar of support throughout his career.
Why Roger Federer choose Tennis over Soccer?
According to Roger, the answer majorly lies in the fundamental difference that the two sports have. While tennis, on the one hand, gives the liberty to play individually, soccer is a sport where you can always blame others for a loss.
In an interview with a popular media house, he said: “I always liked to be in control. In tennis, you win or lose, it’s only you to blame. In soccer I always felt like the goalkeeper made this mistake, why didn’t you tackle that guy earlier. I always find these excuses even though I really enjoyed the team sport.”
There are commendations galore, from important people in Roger’s life, who have claimed that the Swiss Maestro was born for Tennis.
When Federer was ten, he had begun private weekly coaching with tennis coach Adolf Kacovsky who used to coach him at the Old Boys Tennis Club. He always gushed about his “star pupil” and said: “I noticed right away that this guy was a natural talent”. And, further added that: “He was born with a racquet in his hand”.
“Initially, he received lessons in the group but the club and I quickly noticed he was enormously talented”, said Kacovsky.
Federer who occasionally dabbles in other sports, had himself admitted saying that: “Golf was nice to do, but the same thing again. Next thing you know, your back hurts just a little bit. You just don’t want to do it, because my body is accustomed to playing tennis right now”.
