Watch: Lucky fan surprises Roger Federer with a tattoo he got in his honor
Roger Federer is one of the most beloved athletes on the planet thanks to his glittering career in tennis. The Swiss maestro has several fans all over the world and recently happened to run into one of them at a restaurant.
In a video posted on Instagram, the fan can be heard saying he got a tattoo in Federer's honor, while also calling the former World No. 1 his "biggest inspiration." After looking at the tattoo, the 40-year-old said, "Are you kidding me?" before hugging the fan.
Roger Federer set to return to action at the Laver Cup in September
In a recent interview with Swiss weekly Coopzeitung, Roger Federer said that he hopes to play at the Laver Cup, which will take place in September.
"I knew [my knee surgery and recovery] would be a long process but the operation was necessary, I couldn't have played like this after Wimbledon. Now I hope to be able to get back into the Laver Cup in September," Federer said.
The 2022 Laver cup will also feature 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
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Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will be back together at O2 Arena for the 2022 Laver Cup 👏🏼 https://t.co/dnnPg1dkpU
Federer has also confirmed his participation at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, which will kick off on October 24. The 40-year-old has won the competition a record 10 times, including triumphing in each of the last three editions.
In 2019, Federer won the Swiss Indoors without dropping a set. He beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals before defeating Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
The tournament did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, but is scheduled to be held this season, with Carlos Alcaraz recently confirming his participation in the event.
Federer has not played a match since last year's Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, including a bagel in the third. The 40-year-old's prolonged absence from the tour has seen him drop to 50th in the rankings.
As per the live ATP rankings, he has dropped another 18 spots to 68th, which is his lowest ranking this century.