‘Put His Head on His Arm and Fallen Asleep’- Mischievous Roger Federer’s ‘Bad Boy’ Act Proves How Tennis Was Etched in His Destiny

When anyone thinks of Roger Federer, all one can imagine is are titles, victories, and the legends that he performed on the tennis courts. Federer, known for his charisma and his never-fading smile has always got the heart of many. But deep behind his charisma lies a bad boy image that is not known to many.

The journey to success has never been easy for Federer. During his early teenage years, he had to go through a lot of sacrifices that made him the player that he is today. Reflecting on the same, Annemarie Ruegg, the then contact and support person for Roger’s academics reflected on how Federer was back in his school days. She also reflected on Federer’s academics while reflecting on how he was during the classes.

Roger Federer sparked a bad-boy image at his school

In the early days of his tennis journey, Roger Federer, who started on his path to greatness shortly after his 14th birthday, faced a unique challenge. Federer had to balance his tennis with completing his compulsory schooling at College La Planta in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Roger’s father, Robert admitted that his son wasn’t the most diligent student, but they were fortunate to have the support of Annemarie Rüegg, who played an important role in Roger’s academic and personal development during those crucial years.

Annemarie Ruegg brought her expertise to the Tennis Etudes project in Ecublens in 1993. This project seamlessly combined academics and sports, making it an ideal environment for a young Federer. Roger, who spoke only a few words of French upon his arrival at Lake Geneva, faced challenges, particularly in the classroom. Ruegg recalls instances when Roger would doze off during class, which raised concerns from the school about pushing him too hard physically.

‘I remember one or two phone calls from school when Roger dozed off during class. He had put his head on his arm and fallen asleep. They were worried at school whether we were pushing him too hard physically. I interpreted it more like this: he wasn’t that awake yet, and the subject didn’t interest him much either,’ told Ruegg while talking about the struggles that Federer had to go through.

Thus, adapting to a completely new system, it was relatively hard for Federer to adjust to the pattern as he wasn’t able to completely focus on his studies. In a recent interview with GQ, Federer also reflected on the struggles that he had to face as a teenager when he had to leave his home.

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Federer reveals the struggles that he had to face as a teenager

Reflecting on the early years of his teenage, Roger Federer suggested that they were not at all easy for him. While making a way for himself into the tennis landscape, he had to leave his home and everything behind to start a new life at the age of 14. Fed, who was just crowned the junior’s title in Switzerland was given an ultimatum by his parents to either show them the results or he had to go back to pursue his studies.

However, constant training and hard work allowed him to showcase his best form and he eventually went down to become the best in his age group. What later followed was a constant success with the support of an incredible staff behind him. Thus, Roger’s journey has been nothing short of sensational. From being someone who left home at an early age to becoming the best in the world is praiseworthy.

What are your views on the struggles that Federer had to go through in his early years as a teenager? Do let us know about this in the comments below.

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