‘He’s One of the Greatest’: Rising ATP Star Opens up on His Training with Roger Federer

19-year-old Swiss tennis player Dominic Stephan Stricker has been causing some waves in the tennis world. Currently, Dominic is playing in the qualifiers of the Australian Open and recently beat Mohamed Safwat of Egypt to advance to the next round.

It’s not a surprise that he has huge admiration for his fellow compatriot and 20-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, as he recalls the time he spent with the Swiss Maestro. 

Dominic Stricker has massive admiration for Roger Federer

One of the next-gen talents, Dominic Stricker’s current world ranking, is 243. However, the way he is performing right now, he will surely move up in the rankings in no time. After beating Mohamed Safwat in the Australian Open qualifiers by 3-6. 6-2, 6-1, he recalled the time he practiced with Roger Federer. 

He idolizes Federer and believes that he is one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest. “It was just great to hit two, three weeks with him. He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, in this sport. You learn a lot,” the young Swiss up-and-comer said during an interview. 

Last year, Dominic practiced with Federer during the pre-season in Dubai for three weeks where he learned many things from the former World no.1. When reporters asked the young Swiss player about this, he said, “He told me some stuff, like how the serve is important and it’s the only shot in tennis that you can do by yourself.”

Watch This Story: Know about Federer’s food and routine

The future looks bright for Dominic Stricker

Dominic caused a huge upset when he beat the former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round of the Geneva Open last year. In the second round, he beat the Hungarian star Marton Fucsovics to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Incidentally, Roger was in the stands during Dominic’s match against Cilic and they both had a brief conversation after the match. Practicing with Federer surely boosted his confidence. He is now inching closer to his first Grand Slam debut in the Australian Open. In the next round of qualifiers, he will face Australia’s Matthew Ebden and if he wins that match, he will get really close to the main draw. 

Can Dominic Stricker become the next Roger Federer? Let us know in the comments.

Read More: “Gracias Peque”: Rafael Nadal and Diego Schwartzman Bond Over Practice Session Ahead of Australian Open 2022