Australian Open 2018: When Hyeon Chung was a ball boy at a Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal match

What's the story?

Tennis has seen some incredible stories in the past with unseeded players winning big tournaments and classic matches that live on in the memory for a lifetime. Perhaps one such story that will forever be etched in history is the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. And witnessing that rivalry from its roots at the forefront is one of the most unlikeliest of candidates -- Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung.

The South Korean made headlines this month following his giant-killing fairytale run at the Aussie Open, but looking back at this photo from 2006, one can see he had his hands full with legends from the get-go.

#FBF November 21, 2006... @HyeonChung (bottom left) ballboys for @rogerfederer and @RafaelNadal at an exhibition match in Seoul, Korea. 🎾🏃‍♂️📸 pic.twitter.com/lQIe7xl2xa

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2018

In case you didn't know...

Hyeon Chung was forced to concede defeat to Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Australian Open following an injury in the form of blisters that seriously hampered his movement on the court. Despite the loss, Chung remains a true fan-favourite with the tennis public.

The heart of the matter

The photo shown via Twitter is of a match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in 2006 where the duo played an invitational match in the city of Seoul in South Korea. Being Korean and a tennis enthusiast from a very young age, Chung was one of the ball boys present at the event and doing the work of running around the court for two future legends.

Needless to say, the photo brought about a huge reaction from the Twitter public, who couldn't get enough.

What's next?

The road may have ended for Chung at the Australian Open, but the future looks bright to say the very least for this talented young Korean.

Author's take

Federer's resounding approval of Chung will give the youngster confidence to push on and achieve big things in the coming tournaments.