Roger Federer to meet Sachin Tendulkar in India

Roger Federer and Sachin Tendulkar

Two superstars in the world of sport – Roger Federer and Sachin Tendulkar are set to meet again when the Swiss maestro comes to India to play in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). Federer’s friend and agent Tony Godsick confirmed this in an interview to a leading Indian news daily. Tendulkar met Federer at the Wimbledon Championships in 2011.

Federer is no stranger when it comes to cricket. "His mom (Lynette) is South African," Godsick said, adding, "Roger was exposed to cricket when he was young, thanks to his coach Peter Carter, who was Aussie, and then Tony Roche. On Tour when I walk into his room, I often find him engrossed in a game of cricket."  

It was Godsick who prompted Federer to sign up with the IPTL. He also mentioned that Federer is keen on catching up with the Indian batting legend during his brief stay in India.

"Roger won't be travelling much in India this time. He will not be visiting with his family, but he will want to take in as much as he can," Godsick said, adding the trip was in the middle of the 17-time Grand Slam champion's pre-2015 training period. "He would definitely like to meet Sachin again. They've had tea with on a couple of occasions at Wimbledon." 

Mahesh Bhupathi spoke with Godsick during the US Open about Federer’s availability for the tournament. Bhupathi got an affirmation from Federer within a week. 

"I reminded Roger that it was his dream to play in India when he was still competitive as a large portion of his fan base is Indian. He has always felt that his fans (in India) deserved to see him play at his best," said Godsick, who will accompany Federer to India. 

The World No. 2 Federer will play for the Indian Aces in the IPTL. The team also includes American Pete Sampras, Frenchman Gael Monfils, Serb Ana Ivanovic and Indians Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza as teammates. The Indian leg of the tournament is from December 6-8.