Kid who asked Roger Federer why he is called the GOAT is now top-ranked American junior in singles and doubles
At the 2017 US Open, Roger Federer fielded a question unlike any other at his press conference. Kid reporter Izyan Ahmad asked the 20-time Grand Slam champion why he was called the GOAT even though Switzerland did not have a lot of livestock, inviting a round of chuckles from everyone gathered in the room.
"I wanted to ask you, Switzerland is really cool right? There isn't too much livestock. So why do they call you the GOAT?" Ahmad asked.
Trying his best to suppress laughter, Federer replied that it was just something his fans called him and avoided explaining what GOAT really stood for -- the Greatest of All Time.
"I don't know why [they call me the GOAT]. Some fans call me that, I don't call myself that," Federer answered. "Yeah, we have a lot of animals in Switzerland and goats are part of the livestock we have there."
ESPNI don’t know why the kid is not shown in the amazing video but he is my friend’s son - his name is Izyan (Zizou) Ahmad and he just became #1 in Under-12 Singles and Doubles in the US.
Follow him on Insta instagram.com/tennis_ace_ziz… twitter.com/roger_allez/st…
More than five years later, Ahmad has become a force to be reckoned with on the junior tennis circuit. As of February 9, the 11-year-old, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, is the American No. 1 in both singles and doubles in the under-12 category.
Ahmad took to Instagram to share the achievement and thanked everyone who helped him along the way.
"No. 1 in Singles and Doubles in the country! Filled with gratitude and happy to see hard work yield this result," Ahmad wrote. "It takes a village, so a big thank you to Coach Michael and everyone at [the John McEnroe Tennis Academy] and everyone else who has helped along the way."
"If you are going to make it on Tour, I will make sure that I come back for you" - Roger Federer to Izyan Ahmad
During the 2017 press conference, Izyan Ahmad followed up with another question, one of a more serious nature this time around. Describing the Swiss as "the most consistent player of all time," Ahmad asked him to continue playing for another eight or nine years.
The American had the self-assurance even back then that he would turn pro within that time period and wanted to square off against the former World No. 1 before he hung up his racquet.
"I have a serious question too. You have been the most consistent player of all time. Can you please continue to play for eight or nine years so that I can play you when I go pro?" Ahmad asked.
Federer showed his class by accepting the request immediately. He "almost-promised" the kid that even if he did retire before then, he would make a return to the sport just to fulfill his wish.
"Yes, if you are going to make it on Tour, I will make sure that I come back for you, okay? It's almost a promise, a pinky promise," Federer said.
The World No. 30 has been on the sidelines since the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, recovering from knee surgery. He has missed the last two Grand Slams and his return date is not yet certain.
However, the 40-year-old stated in a recent interview that things should become more clear in the coming months and hoped to get back to action as soon as possible.