There’s no doubt that Roger Federer is an inspiration for any kid who takes up tennis next. The Swiss maestro made everything look easy with his sheer class and dedication on the court. While we adore him, the Swiss legend has also got a few admirers in different sports as well.

American alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin is among the biggest fans of the 20-time Grand Slam champion. Apart from adoring him, the American also believes that the 41-year-old has a special role in her development as a player. Here’s what she said.

Mikaela Shiffrin on the impact of Roger Federer in her career

Shiffrin met Federer in America and they bonded well. Later, the former world number one invited Shiffrin to his home at Switzerland for lunch. While the Swiss maestro hosted her at his home, he also gave away some valuable advice to the 27-year-old.

Speaking to Eurosport, Shiffrin recalled, “I feel like that lunch happened at a time when I really needed a reason to be positive and excited. He [Federer] was saying, in order to preserve the longevity of your career, you need to take the moments to look around, appreciate where you are, breathe it in.”

Adding further, Shiffrin recalled Federer telling her, “enjoy the most incredible moments because what you do is incredible.”

She continued, “And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Roger Federer’s talking to me about my career. It was a little bit hard to really reel it all in and understand everything he was even saying because I was sort of awestruck the entire time.”

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Federer goes skiing after a long time

Federer’s interest in skiing is evident from his meeting with Shiffrin. The Swiss tennis legend has always been a fan of the sport and loved doing it himself. However, a busy tennis schedule and knee injuries followed by surgeries meant that he was not able to enjoy the sport for a long time.

However, as he recovered from his injury and retired from tennis, the Swiss legend finally got the time and opportunity to go skiing. The 41-year-old also shared a video of himself revealing that he went skiing after a long wait of 15 years.

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While the legend is enjoying his post-retirement life, fans are waiting eagerly to see the racket back in his hand. Do you want to see Federer on the tennis court again? Let us know in the comments.