In a massive announcement, Roger Federer revealed that he would be retiring from professional tennis at the age of 41. The announcement left the entire world in shock with many notable celebrities and his fans extending their best wishes to him. One of them included actor and Indian Tennis star’s wife Lara Dutta who went down memory lane revealing memories of her first meeting with the legendary tennis player Roger Federer.
Lara Dutta recalls meeting Roger Federer for the first time
During a recent interaction with Hindustan Times, Lara Dutta reflected on Roger Federer’s retirement announcement and remembered when she watched him play at the Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal a couple of years ago and added that she will always treasure the moments she watched him play as an athlete and as a tennis player.
She said, “When it comes to knowing him for the person that he is… I still remember the very first time that I ever travelled with my husband was to the World Championships, which are normally held in London around year-end. That was the first time that I saw Roger. He was sitting in the players’ lounge right at the very back. Mahesh’s father, Krishna Bhupathi, walked into the lounge, and went to him to say hello.”
Furthermore, Dutta revealed that she saw Federer for the first time in London when she was travelling with her husband for the World Championships. As Mahesh Bhupathi’s father Krishna Bhupathi was also present with them, she recalled how Roger Federer stood up immediately to shake hands with him which spoke volumes about him and his upbringing, and about the kind of person that he is, for the respect that he had for somebody’s father and an elderly person.
“Roger stood up immediately, as soon as he saw Mahesh’s dad come over, and shook his hand. It just spoke volumes about him and about his upbringing, and about the kind of person that he is, for the respect that he had for somebody’s father and an elderly person. No matter how big he was, he recognised people. He was always really humble, always smiling, never said no to a picture being taken,” she added.
Moreover, Lara Dutta stated how there are so many memories that she will hold close to her heart. “These treasured memories are very close to my heart, given the fact that he is retiring from tennis. But I will always eternally remain a Roger Federer fan and for me, he will always be GOAT,” she signed off.
