Roger Federer is one of the greatest tennis players of all time and his journey to stardom is an intriguing one.
Federer was always a talented junior player, but waited until he was 21-years-old to win a Grand Slam title, winning Wimbledon in 2003.
As a youngster, there was always one person that Federer seemed to meet at most events he played in, and his rivalry with Lleyton Hewitt was encapsulating.
Hewitt managed to win a couple of Grand Slam titles during his career, one at Wimbledon and one at the US Open, but they paled in comparison against the 20 collected by Federer.
Federer always had a lot of respect for Hewitt, and in 2016, he opened up on what his relationship was like with the Australian performer.
What Roger Federer said about Lleyton Hewitt in 2016
Federer and Hewitt played against each other a lot in junior tournaments and also met professionally on the ATP Tour.
It’s common knowledge that the pair had a strong rivalry, and in 2016 he was asked what he thought of the Australian player during an interview with SBS.
He said: “We always got along well. It was sometimes feisty on the court, but it was always respectful.
“I always admired his work ethic, his on-court fighting spirit, even though it annoyed me sometimes because in the beginning it was crazier than now.
“Until I found myself as well on the court, it took me a while, but it was more because of me, not because of him, I’d say.
“It was different with Lleyton. I had to turn around the series because he got the better of me so many times in the beginning, whereas with Andy (Roddick), I started on the better side and kept that up throughout.
“But I really enjoyed playing them. Also (Juan Carlos) Ferrero and (Marat) Safin, I thought. But Lleyton was something special. No doubt about it. Same as Roddick.
“Lleyton made me figure out my game and made me definitely a better player, as well.”
Federer had a huge advantage over Hewitt on the head-to-head
Although Hewitt largely had Federer’s card marked on the junior scene, it was a completely different story when it came to the professional tour.
Federer won double the matches that Hewitt did, with the Swiss superstar holding an 18-9 advantage over the two-time Grand Slam champion.
Incidentally, Hewitt actually won the final meeting between the two players, coming through in three sets in the final of the Brisbane International in 2014.
Federer won 15 straight matches against Hewitt from 2004 to 2010, but nonetheless, it’s completely certain that the man with over 100 career titles thought well of his former sparring partner in the juniors.
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