Carlos Alcaraz has openly admitted that Roger Federer was his idol growing up, even though the two never had the opportunity to face each other on the tennis court.
Federer is set to return to the tennis spotlight at the 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin. As the key figure responsible for the Laver Cup's creation, Federer is usually present at the event, and this year will be no exception.
He expressed his excitement about this year's edition and how it could unfold. Team Europe is bringing a very strong roster, headlined by Carlos Alcaraz, as they aim to win the event for the first time in three years.
Their last victory was in 2021, and Federer believes they have a good chance this year. Speaking ahead of the Laver Cup, Federer shared his thoughts on the upcoming tournament.
"I think that Team Europe is very strong this year, it’s stacked. In the singles matches, we are heavy favourites even though I know that Team World has great players right now that are red hot and playing super well, I still think most of the matches in singles are going to go Team Europe’s way and then the doubles, I feel like most are going to go Team World’s way."
While Federer will be quite busy in Berlin with various commitments, he also mentioned that he plans to spend some time with Alcaraz. The young Spaniard has referred to the Swiss Maestro as his idol several times and grew up admiring him, so it’s a great opportunity for them to connect.
Federer admitted that he barely knows Alcaraz and regrets not having the chance to share the court with him properly. Although they practiced together once at Wimbledon, it didn’t happen again, and Federer jokingly said he could apologize for that this week.
"I barely know Carlos Alcaraz so I’m really excited to see him play for the very first time. I only practised once with him at Wimbledon when he was still a junior, and then the next day, my coach said, ‘Do you want to warm up with him again?’"
"And I said, ‘No, it’s okay, I’d rather warm up with his coach, who was my generation, Juan Carlos Ferrero.’ I can apologize to Carlos this week!"
The Laver Cup will be held for the seventh time this year, and it's been a huge success across the board. Federer also remembers the uncertainty at the start. He wasn't sure whether the concept would work out, and seeing it blossom in this type of event has been quite a journey.
"There was a lot of uncertainty at the very beginning when we started seven years ago. Was everything going to go according to plan? Were people going to show up?"
"Did they like the product? Were the players going to show up? Being a player myself and also an organizer and trying to come up with a concept — it was quite the trip."