Roger Federer’s popularity in the sporting world has been highlighted at the Perth Arena after more than 5000 fans turned up to watch him conduct a practice session.
The 17-time grand slam champion is set to end his hiatus from tennis at next week’s Hopman Cup, where he will team up with Belinda Bencic in the team event. Federer has been absent from the tour since his semifinal loss at the Wimbledon Championships due to the after effects of a troublesome knee injury.
Leading up to his return, Federer agreed to open his practice session to the public in a free event. The idea came from the Swiss player, who negotiated a plan with the tournament director, Paul Kilderry.
“Usually when you train, they shut down centre court, which I think is sometimes a pity,” Federer told 7 News.
“I spoke to the tournament and to Paul to ask if it was possible to open it up the fans, because I heard that my three sessions had sold out.
“Everybody gets a chance to see me play – maybe more kids and more juniors.
“And if nobody turns up, then that’s OK too.”
Federer’s entrance into the Perth Arena on Thursday was met with a standing ovation. The atmosphere could have been mistaken for a tournament final instead of a standard practice session.
Drum roll, please… @rogerfederer arrives for his first #HopmanCup practice (and there’s lots of fans!) pic.twitter.com/UbkStdXGOc
— Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) 29 December 2016
It is the second time this month that the 35-year-old has welcomed the public to watch his training routine. Whilst in Dubai, he conducted a live stream of his session with France’s Lucas Pouille. The move by Federer has been labelled as the start of a new era in how athletes interact with their fans. According to Periscope, the Dubai streams has attracted over one million views.
Slowing down a 17-time Grand Slam champion isn’t easy… 😉 #HopmanCup pic.twitter.com/DjsTv20IZc
— Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) 29 December 2016
Federer’s return to the Perth event will be his first appearance since 2002. He is a former winner of the Hopman Cup, lifting the title with Martina Hingis in 2001. Due to his absence from the tour, next year will be the first time that the Swiss has started the season ranked outside the world’s top 10 since 2001.
Following his workout, Federer also treated the crowd to an extensive question and answer session.
