Roger Federer‘s first visit to San Francisco has left him with some regrets. While the sun-soaked Bay Area seemed like the idyllic destination for his brainchild event, the 2025 Laver Cup, there was something else that bothered him. It was the realization that Stephen Curry might not play tonight in the team’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, one that Federer planned to attend after he rolled his ankle on March 7 during the team’s loss against the Chicago Bulls.

“Bad timing for me,” lamented the 42-year-old tennis legend. However, he has had the chance to meet Steph a few times in the past. And one such meeting even inspired the 4x Champion when he and the team needed it the most.

Steve Kerr draws parallels between Stephen Curry and Roger Federer

The Chef’s 43-point series-leveling masterclass against the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals brought back some fond memories for 9x NBA champion coach Steve Kerr. After Steph’s historic performance, Kerr reminisced about an encounter between the Warriors and 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer in Shanghai. During this meeting, Federer revealed how he has been at the top of his game for over two decades. His answer was simple but profound. “I love my daily ritual,” he said. These words had quite an impact on Stephen Curry. So much so that now when Kerr looks at Steph, he sees the same kind of “zest for life and just joy for the process.”

While Curry found the comparison humorous, he did admit that he gets “lost” while practicing. “I love to work. You kind of get lost in the sessions you have on the court in practice, in the weight room, wherever it is, because you know it’s going to lead to you being as prepared as possible for those games,” admitted the Golden State Warriors megastar. However, while Curry’s 43-point performance bailed them out in 2022, can the GSW survive this last stretch of the regular season without their leader?

Can the Warriors survive in Stephen Curry’s absence?

According to ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, an MRI was conducted on Stephen Curry’s ankle immediately after the game. Luckily for the Warriors, the results showed no signs of structural damage. Therefore, the injury will likely not result in a long-term absence. To the Warriors’ further relief, their next two games are against the bottom-feeding San Antonio Spurs – Saturday at home and Monday in Texas. After that, they only play two games until next Monday. However, those two are critical road contests against teams they have been jockeying for the play-in spot. They face the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

However, the Warriors are well-equipped to overcome this stretch. They have been on a tear as of late, winning 14 of their last 19 games. Moreover, Chris Paul recently came back from his left-hand injury and could seamlessly take over the starting point guard duties in the absence of Stephen Curry. Their young core of players, including Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Moses Moody, have also been exceptional this season and are expected to hold the fort until Steph returns.

Read More: Stephen Curry Injury: Silver Lining Of 2x MVP’s Misery Coddles Hurt Warriors Fans