Serena Williams and Roger Federer reflected on their unique bond in the former's biopic 'In the Arena: Serena Williams,' discussing how their parallel journeys on tour influenced and inspired each other. Their mutual respect and admiration was evident as they looked back on their outstanding careers.
Arguably two of the best players to have graced the tennis courts, the pair were on tour simultaneously for a whopping 24 years. They amassed 43 Grand Slam singles titles together, 176 tour titles, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times each.
Williams and Federer went up against each other just once in their illustrious careers, but they frequently crossed paths at various events. Whether sharing winner’s podiums at Grand Slams or participating in charity events, the pair quickly developed a cordial relationship.
Federer reflected on that special friendship recently while starring in Williams' biography, 'In the Arena: Serena Williams.' The Swiss star opened up about the years spent seeing each other on and off the court while also paying tribute to all that she'd achieved while on tour.
“I think with anybody who played your sport you have a bond, but even more so with somebody like Serena. We go way back, played on the same courts, you won the same tournaments, you felt the same amount of pressure. It's 15 years of seeing each other, waiting for each other for me to finish my match so she could play hers or vice versa. So I mean I've spent hours and hours watching Serena play of course and admiring what she's done as well," Federer was quoted as saying.
Williams, on the other hand, drew comparisons between their illustrious careers and spoke about how she 'looked up' to him in a way despite turning pro three years before Federer. It was his calm and composed demeanor that stood out the most to Williams. She also admitted that she very often studied Federer in the hopes of possibly emulating a few of his tricks.
"My career was weirdly parallel with Roger Federer. He and I were the same age, and I always looked up to Roger in a way. He always knew how to handle every single situation and he always knew how to win. I would study his game and I would say, how do I hit the ball early? How do I move like that? How do I have that footwork like Roger Federer? Like I want to study him because he is the best," Williams was quoted as saying.
The pair are set to star in episode five of Williams' highly anticipated biopic, 'In the Arena: Serena Williams.' The series gives fans a detailed account of her time on the tour while diving deep into a few of her most special moments and victories.
The fifth episode is set to air on August 13, 2024 on ESPN.
Serena Williams and Roger Federer faced off just once on tour
Serena Williams and Roger Federer went up against each other just once in their careers despite spending roughly 24 years on it together. The 2018 Hopman Cup played host to arguably one of the greatest mixed doubles matches of all time.
The Swiss team comprising Federer and Belinda Bencic saw off the American duo of Williams and Frances Tiafoe 4-2, 4-3 (3) in front of a packed center court in Perth.
“It was so fun. This is super cool that we get to do it at such a pinnacle point of our careers,” Williams was quoted as saying after the match. “This guy is great, both off the court and on the court. I think his serve is super-underestimated. It’s a killer serve, you can’t read it. I watched him all the time and I never knew how amazing it was.”
Federer in response lauded the experience while reserving special praise for Williams' blistering serve.
“I was nervous returning. People talk about her serve so much and I see why it is such a wonderful serve because you just can’t read it,” Federer said.
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