Roger Federer was recently in France to open a refurbished court for the La Courneuve community. The court was originally installed by former French player Yannick Noah.
The initiative at the time was part of the Fête le Mur association, created by 1983 French Open champion Noah in 1995. It was developed as a social inclusion program that gives young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods a chance to learn tennis.
Noah is currently the captain of France’s Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams. He will also be the coach of Team Europe at this year’s Laver Cup.
Roger Federer opened the refurbished court in partnership with Uniqlo. The brand posted a clip on X (formerly Twitter), where the 21-time Grand Slam champion can be seen welcoming kids from the community.
“The Fete le Mur complex of La Courneuve is one of many starts in a constellation of courts build across France and the world, by one of my all time favorites legendary tennis player Yannick Noah. Today I’m here to open the court with these amazing young players, the heart of La Courneuve,” Federer opened the clip [at 0:4]
Federer gave a few lessons to the kids and later sat down to interact with them. The kids came from diverse backgrounds, including one whose parents were Sri Lankan refugees and another from Senegal.
The former World No. 1 closed the clip by hitting a shots and sharing his experience on camera. The clip was shared as part of the video series 24 Hours with Roger by Uniqlo, in which Federer interacts with different guests to exchange ideas from other walks of life and tennis.
Roger Federer visited opera house Palais Garnier in Paris, explored “connection between tennis and ballet”
Roger Federer’s on-court grace and elegance had prompted fashion photographer Radka Leitmeritz to liken the 8-time Wimbledon champion to a ballet dancer back in 2020.
Exploring a similar idea as part of the video series 24 Hours with Roger by Uniqlo, another clip shared by the brand on Youtube shows the interaction between Federer and members of the Paris Ballet Corps.
“I’m here for this once in a lifetime opportunity to see these incredible athletes rehearse and to finally explore the connection between tennis and ballet,” Federer can be heard stating in the beginning of the clip [at 0:32].
In the clip, Federer drew parallels between the ballerinas performing on the prestigious stage and his experience of performing on Center Court.
He also mirrored a ballerina’s actions as he showcased his signature backhand and later matched a few ballet steps with her in the video.