He’s one of the greatest players of all time, able to hit the ball more cleanly and consistently than any other, and breaking virtually every record along the way. And for once, we aren’t talking about Virat Kohli.
Instead it’s tennis god Roger Federer, the man with more Grand Slam titles than any other, and surely one of only a few people in the world who can leave India’s captain awestruck, as he did when the pair met for a second time during the Australian Open.
“It was amazing,” said Kohli. “I’ve met him a couple of times before and the fact that he remembered me was crazy. He told me he met me in Sydney a few years back when he was playing an exhibition match and I was like, ‘Wow, he remembers me!’ I can’t explain that feeling. I’ve watched him play since I was a child.
He’s a great tennis player but also a great man and a great human being.”
The appreciation, it seems, is mutual, with the pair sharing an in-depth discussion about how they each go about their business. “He kept asking me questions,” said Kohli. “We were talking about mindsets in sport, how he prepares, what he thinks about his sport. It was a beautiful, beautiful time.”
Oh to have been a fly on the wall, listening to two greats reveal the secrets that have made them so revered in their respective circles.
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