"I remember even today watching Roger vs Rafa in my old apartment with my dad" - Borna Coric recalls watching idol Roger Federer on TV

Borna Coric has revealed that Roger Federer was one of his idols growing up and a big reason he took up the sport.

Federer announced his retirement from tennis last month and played his final match at the Laver Cup. His farewell was highly emotional, with colleagues, fans, friends, and family paying tribute to his extraordinary career.

During a chat on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Coric recalled watching Federer take on Rafael Nadal and wishing he could play against the Swiss one day.

"I was basically watching him (Federer), Goran Ivanisevic, Mario Ancic, all of my big idols. I basically started playing tennis because of them, and he was one of them. I was watching him on tv and I was hoping I could play against him one day, that was my main goal," Coric said.

"I remember even today watching Roger vs Rafa in my old apartment with my dad, wishing I can play against them in the first round. He was one of the main reasons why I started to play tennis and what he did for tennis is amazing, so all we can do is say 'Thank you very much'," he added.

Borna Coric won his maiden ATP 500 title at the 2018 Halle Open by beating Roger Federer 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-2 in the final. Speaking about the triumph, the Croat stated that the grass-court event was the "most special tournament" of his career and beating the Swiss maestro in the final was "really amazing."

"It was the most special tournament of my whole career because just before the tournament, I won only two or three matches on grass in the last 4 years. So, I was coming to the grass and was not really hoping for the best, even if I won one or two rounds, I would be super happy," Coric said.

"In the second round, I was beating good players and just coming to the final playing against Roger in Halle was already enough. But obviously, I played some very good tennis and yea, it was something really amazing for me," he added.

How has Borna Coric fared against Roger Federer?

Borna Coric during his match against Roger Federer at the 2019 Italian Open

Borna Coric and Roger Federer have locked horns six times, with the latter leading the head-to-head 4-2. The 20-time Major winner won their first two meetings, which came in the semifinals of the 2015 Dubai Tennis Championships and the 2018 Indian Wells Masters.

Coric then beat Federer in the final of the 2018 Halle Open and the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters that same year. The Swiss responded by winning their final two meetings in Dubai and Rome in 2019.