"I can only try to be as good as him" - Matteo Berrettini on his idol Roger Federer

World No. 16 Matteo Berrettini recently praised his idol Roger Federer for his kindness, adding that he could only hope to be as good as the Swiss one day -- both on and off the court.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion was on HELLO's third annual Kind List, which honors some well-known figures who go above and beyond every day with their deeds of kindness and compassion.

In May, the former World No. 1 met with kids and adults who were a part of the School Readiness Program, which his charity had begun in 2020 in collaboration with local organizations. It collaborates with 900 community-based childcare facilities to increase low-income kids' access to formal early education.

The Swiss legend asserted that his foundation has made a real impact and added that early education is a crucial part of a person's foundation.

"Wonderful to see that we are having a real impact on the ground with the Roger Federer Foundation. Access to quality early education is crucial and it is the foundation of all learning. I am so happy I made my way to Malawi," he said.

Matteo Berrettini spoke about his idol's kindness while speaking to HELLO recently, claiming that the 20-time Grand Slam champion has been his idol since he started playing tennis. Berrettini further added that he avidly followed him when he was on tour to learn from him.

"Roger has been my idol since I started playing tennis. When I tried to become a professional tennis player and was on tour, I was following him and tried to learn from him but not to be like him because that's impossible," Berrettini said.

Berrettini further stated that he could only aspire to be as good as Federer, noting that the Swiss has contributed so much to the sport that he no longer has to prove anything.

"I can only try to be as good as him. Roger has brought so much to the sport, he doesn't need to prove anything anymore," Berrettini added.

Gold at the 2022 Effie Awards for Roger Federer and Robert de Niro's commercial

Robert de Niro [left] and Roger Federer's recent advertisement film wins Gold at the 2022 Effie Awards

Roger Federer takes great pride in being Swiss and has taken part in many initiatives to promote Switzerland in various areas. Earlier this year, he worked with Robert De Niro on an advertisement to promote Swiss tourism, and their combined campaign has now helped them win a prize.

The "Highlight" category of the 2022 Effie Awards in Switzerland saw "No Drama" win the Gold Award. The commercial had a shot at winning Switzerland's prestigious "Grand Effie," given to the country's top promotional campaign -- which it, unfortunately, lost out on afterward.

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