Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Philipp Lahm

Getting close to the best was an inspiration for Roger Federer and myself


In a video made of Roger Federer when he was 36 and had 19 grand slams to his name, the great tennis player looks at pictures from an earlier time, when he was a ballboy at the Swiss Open in Basel. You hardly recognise him because he’s so young. In another section of the video he stands guard for the winner Michael Stich, who presents them with medals.

“I loved being a ballboy,” he says in the video. “I had the opportunity to see the best players up close.” The adult Federer smirks at the “shining eyes” of the child Federer, getting shiny eyes himself. “Like it was yesterday.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.