What have the Olympics given to Roger Federer? A gold medal and a silver medal! That’s right, but apart from that, it has also served as the stage of his meeting with the love of his life. Has Roger Federer ever given any return gift to the Olympics? Well, along with enlightening the event with his glittering presence, the Swiss Maestro also gave a gift to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

Roger Federer is not only one of the greatest to feature this sport but also his down-to-earth nature and his incredible personality are what make him so popular among the fans. His aura is just different! To have the ability to command respect is itself very special, but to have a piece of his memories in the collections is even more special for the Olympic Museum. The 26cm wide, 69 cm long, and 367 g heavy gift was one of the priciest possessions during his playing career, but does that particular gift have a fond memory attached to it though?

Recently a list of almost 90,000 historic objects from the world of sport was presented by the Olympic Museum. The list is pretty long, but Roger Federer’s Wilson tennis racquet from the 2008 Miami Open sits at the top of that list. Thanks to the Swiss Maestro’s contributions, the employees at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne can now breathe a sigh of relief after getting the chance to touch one of the priciest possessions of Switzerland’s very own.

Who better to finally begin their collection of tennis equipment to display on their walls?! Martina Hingis’ sweaty outfit from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, preserved as is, is surely a sight to behold. But when it comes to equipment, Federer’s will be the first.

For those who may be unaware, in the 2008 Miami Open, Roger Federer had lost to America’s Andy Roddick in the QF by a three-set thriller. So, clearly, that wasn’t a fond memory to cherish for Roger Federer in his career. However, the Olympics has always had a special place in his heart during his playing career. So, perhaps that’s why he chose to gift them a gift from his side.

How had Federer performed in his special tournament, though? His first appearance at the Olympics was in Sydney in the year 2000. Since then, he has made a total of five appearances at the Games during his career, winning the gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then clinching silver four years later at the 2012 London Olympics in the singles event. Some believe winning a medal at the Olympics is much bigger than winning a Grand Slam! What does representing the nation at the Olympics mean to the 20-time Grand Slam Champion though?

“Something completely different to the tour” – Roger Federer vents out his emotion of representing his nation at the Games

Olympics has witnessed the magical moment of him meeting his wife in 2000. Reflecting on how his relationship started with Miroslava ‘Mirka’ Vavrinec, Roger Federer once revealed, “We spent two weeks together in those dorms. We were together with the wrestlers and all the other cool athletes. I guess over the two weeks, we built up some chemistry,” Federer was then just 18 and a half years old and Mirka was 21 years old. Although he didn’t win a medal in Sydney, he had successfully managed to win the heart of Mirka!

Speaking about what does Olympic Games mean to him, Roger once stated, “It is just something completely different to the tour tournaments that we have. I am very popular in my country. I know that people would love to see me play at the Olympics and go for a medal.” He said it always meant a lot to him to represent his nation at such big events. Federer believes he’ll always gonna cherish those iconic moments from the Games for the rest of his life.

Talking about iconic moments, the Olympic Museum also had the equipment of the legendary ski racer Pirmin Zurbriggen, a sweaty dress of Martina Hingis, and many more in their collection!