An old video of Roger Federer assessing his younger self playing tennis recently emerged on Twitter, much to the delight of his ardent fans. In the video, Federer can be seen dissecting footage that showed his teenage self practicing with his good friend Marco Chiudinelli.
The 40-year-old has been sidelined since last year's Wimbledon, prompting his fans to scour the internet for old videos of their idol. One Federer fan posted a video of the Swiss that dates back to 2015.
The footage begins with Federer hitting a backhand from way behind the baseline. Analyzing the shot, the Swiss maestro said he was not impressed, as it felt like a pusher's shot back then. He then expressed surprise and happiness at seeing Chiudinelli in the video, remarking that they played each other on the junior circuit quite often.
"There's a weak backhand, you know! Just trying to push [it] in," the Swiss said in the video. "There's my buddy who won the Davis Cup with me, Marco Chuidinelli. We [often] played against each other at the Swiss Championships."
Federer revealed that he was very temperamental as a teen, before showering praise on his forehand, which has developed into one of the greatest shots in the history of tennis. At the end of the video, the Swiss jokingly quipped that he was framing the ball even back then.
"I used to complain a lot, as you can see I was this little weak kid," he said. "I had a pretty good forehand... [but] I was already shanking the ball then, I still do today."
Roger Federer hoping to return to action in 2022
The 20-time Major winner has been away from the game for seven months now after sustaining a knee injury that required surgery. He was forced to skip the US Open last year and the Australian Open in January.
During a recent interview with Credit Suisse, the 40-year-old disclosed that he would have a better idea of when he could start practicing again in the next couple of months.
He is unlikely to be back in time for Wimbledon, but could make a return during the north American hardcourt swing if his recovery goes according to plan.
The Swiss is currently No. 30 in the world, but will drop further down the rankings if he is unable to defend any points over the rest of the season.
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