Carlos Alcaraz commenced his Laver Cup campaign on an exciting note – scripting a flip-sided victory as compared to his shocking US Open premature exit. Things have been quite upbeat for the young talent in Berlin. After all, he finally concluded his long-drawn dream of meeting Roger Federer. The aftermath? Well, let’s just say that the Spanish sensation is taking some notes from Fed’s impressive on-court skills.

After outfoxing Team World’s Ben Shelton to level Team Europe 4-4, the former World No. 1 has yet again gained traction amongst fans. Obviously, his North American swing did him no favors and displayed his drop in form. However, having navigated past those struggles, Alcaraz is determined to further his dominance in Berlin. On that note, the Spaniard was also eyeing suitable game-style alterations that might project an increased chance of winning. And he did just that, with the Swiss Maestro in his corner!

The four-time Grand Slam champion reserved a few words of appreciation for Federer after marking his triumph over Shelton. In an on-court interview, Alcaraz voiced the motivation behind his impeccable performance against the American force. He revealed that Fed’s jaw-dropping shot-making skill prompted his ascension in the sport. While heaping praise on the 20-time Slam winner’s talents, Alcaraz also highlighted how he grew up watching the Swiss legend, trying to “imitate him” and inculcate his terrific on-court tactics.

Alcaraz said, “I watch him many times, his matches, his unbelievable shots. In some ways, I try to imitate him a little bit and that’s why I’m trying to bring good shots in every match to make people enjoy tennis more.”

Alcaraz’s candid admission makes sense, Federer did not stiff-arm his chances in the sport and instead, became a beacon of inspiration for small-town youngsters hoping to make it big. Moreover, Alcaraz’s kind words for the 43-year-old were coming from a mile away. After all, Fed’s sincere apology to the Spaniard was bound to do the trick.

When Roger Federer acknowledged snubbing Carlos Alcaraz

Swiss legend Roger Federer has a shiny resume. However, not all that glitters is gold. This can be said for the 42-year-old only in this particular case, considering that Fed himself acknowledged his hilarious snubbing of Carlos Alcaraz.

In hopes of rectifying snubbing the Spanish sensation at Wimbledon in 2019, the 20-time Major champion vowed to apologize to Alcaraz at the Laver Cup. Federer’s hysterical confession read, “I only practiced once with him at Wimbledon when he was still a junior, and then the next day, my coach said, ‘Do you want to warm up with him again?’ and I said, ‘No, it’s okay, I’d rather warm up with his coach, who was my generation, Juan Carlos Ferrero.’ I can apologize to Carlos this week.”

With Federer’s guidance at the Laver Cup, Alcaraz can surely up his already laudable performance. What do you make of this fresh match-up? Do let us know in the comments.