Retired tennis legend Roger Federer met with young Chinese tennis enthusiasts at an event by the Swiss sports brand On on October 8.
Tennis players from the Yunnan Wild Elephants Tennis Club were encouraged by Federer to pursue their dreams.
The children came from the remote mountainous areas of Yunnan Province, holding rackets and nurturing dreams of becoming professional tennis players. They actively travel to cities across China for tennis tournaments.
Off the court, Federer is actively involved in the development of youth tennis. As a partner and co-designer of On, he is also dedicated to promoting the popularization and development of tennis.
The court legend is an idol of the tennis players from the club. Two 16-year-old girls, Li Jiao and Peng Shiya, practice forehand and backhand every day, with an average of 7,000 swing training. They hang posters of Federer in their rooms to inspire themselves to persevere whenever there are setbacks and challenges.
One of the greatest tennis players of all time, Roger Federer is also dedicated to promoting the popularization and development of tennis.
Federer is amazed at the rapid development of tennis in China. The young players’ deep love for tennis reminds him of his own childhood tennis dream. He encouraged them to persevere in their quest.
In Federer’s view, love is the seed of dreams, and persistence and hard work are the sunshine and rain that make those seeds grow strong. He hopes that the young players can enjoy the happiness brought by tennis while pursuing their dreams.
Federer, the Rolex Shanghai Masters’ Icon Athlete, will also appear at the Qizhong Tennis Center on Friday to interact with local fans.
Zhang Xiaohong, chief coach of the Yunnan Wild Elephants Tennis Club, noted that he used to be an athlete, and the original intention of establishing the club was to provide more development opportunities for children in the mountainous areas of Yunnan Province, helping them to see a bigger world through sports.