“That Really Stuck With Me”: Denis Shapovalov Describes His First Meeting With Roger Federer Ahead of His Gstaad Open Match

Denis Shapovalov has reached the round of 16 stage of the Swiss Open in Gstaad. He has had an amazing summer in 2021, as he even reached the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships. However, he couldn’t get past Novak Djokovic. Denis produced some upsets at the Wimbledon Championships, as he beat the likes of Andy Murray and Roberto Bautista. Now, the Canadian has spoken highly of his idol, Roger Federer ahead of his round of 16 match today. He will be playing Vit Kopriva at the Swiss Open today.

Denis Shapovalov describes his first meeting with Roger Federer

Denis Shapovalov spoke about how it is said that one should never meet their idol, as one would start thinking less of them. However, it was the complete opposite for Denis when he met Roger Federer. His first reaction to the Swiss legend was in Basel, 2017.

“I remember coming to Basel one year (2017) and I was really a nobody, just on the come up. Roger was in the car, ready to leave the site heading home to his family. He gets out of the car, just to say hello to me, to talk to me 5 or 10 minutes, welcome me to his city. And just to see how everything’s going, making sure I feel at home. That really stuck with me, because I feel like very, very few players would do that, especially a guy with very limited time like Roger, especially, getting home to have dinner with his family,” said Denis.

Federer serving as a role model for youngsters

There is no doubt that young players look up to senior and much more experienced players, and Denis accepts Roger Federer as his role model.

“He has been a huge role model for me growing up and he’s continued to be. The way he carries himself, the way he is as a person, there’s no show with him. It’s all natural, all genuine. It’s really inspiring, just great to have met him and see how he really is,” said Denis.

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Denis impressed everyone with his run at the Wimbledon Championships. As a result of his efforts during the summer, he will be representing Team World at the Laver Cup 2021 in Boston.

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