One of the best athletes of all time, Roger Federer has amassed almost 100 titles over the course of his prolific career. But there’s much more to the legend than just his crazy tennis skills.
Here are eight interesting facts about him:
Sports has always been his calling: Before he discovered his love for tennis, Federer also played basketball, cricket, football, and badminton. He’s also a very keen swimmer, and often holidays in Maldives to swim in the ocean.
Strict diet: Until the age of 14, Federer was a strict vegan! It was only after he joined a sports training camp that required intense workouts that he decided to consume meat as well.
Not just sports, but music too!: Not only has Federer amazed the world with his athletic abilities, he is also a very gifted musician; he is a talented violinist and pianist.
Lucky number!: Born on Aug. 8, 1981, Federer believes 8 to be his lucky number. He carries eight racquets to every match, uses eight water bottles, and uses a towel eight times after every set!
Not fit enough to ‘serve’: He may be able to serve a tennis ball like a pro, but he isn’t fit enough to serve in the military! Although all Swiss men are required to serve in the Swiss Army, Federer was deemed unfit to work in the army due to a back injury!
Swiss Hero: The Swiss idolize their star athlete; in 2007, he became the only living Swiss person to be featured on a stamp, and in 2016, he had a street named after him! The road leading to the city of Biel, where he trained as a child, was renamed Allee Roger Federer in his honor.
Double Trouble!: Federer is a father to two sets of twins. In 2009, his wife Mirka gave birth to twin girls, and just 5 years later, she gave birth to twin boys as well!
Heart of gold: In 2003, Federer launched a foundation to help disadvantaged children. He also auctioned his tournament winning racquet to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2006.
