Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, played approximately 1,526 matches during his professional career, a career filled with success and unforgettable moments. Of those thousands of encounters, he recently revealed that his favorite match was the one he played against Pete Sampras in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2001. Federer remembers that match with palpable emotion. He describes the moment as a true fairy tale: “I don’t know the date itself, it’s not burned into my brain, but that match against Sampras is my favourite match of all time. It had everything: he was my hero at the time, and it was both the first and only time I played Sampras. It was the first time I played on Centre Court at Wimbledon, and it ended in five sets. There was so much going on in my head, it was a fairy tale.”
A memorable match for the Swiss
The match, which ended with Federer winning in five sets, was marked by intense pressure and great emotion. The Swiss player particularly remembers the moment when he realised that his forehand return had sealed his victory. “When I got down on my knees after my forehand return against Sampras landed and all that pressure was gone, I started crying. I thought, ‘This is surreal, what is happening?’
Also read on DailySports.com:
To summarize
Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has played many matches during his professional career. Of those thousands of encounters, he recently revealed that his favorite match was the one he played against Pete Sampras in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2001.
