Roger Federer’s influence on the world of sport extends beyond tennis with NHL star goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist becoming the latest example.
Lundqvist has been a regular feature in the National Hockey League (NHL) since 2005 and won the prestigious Vezina Trophy in 2012. The trophy recognizes the best goalkeeper who is ‘adjudged to be the best at this position’ and is voted for by NHL general managers. Lundqvist was also a member of the Swedish Olympic team that clinched gold at the 2006 Turin Games.
Despite the numerous accolades associated with the 35-year-old, last year he recorded his lowest ever save percentage of .910. The calculation works out how many shots on targets is saved by the goalkeeper. Eager to get back on track, the Swedish-born athlete is drawing upon inspiration from Federer, who is the same age as him.
“I’ve talked to Roger a lot about his training and his approach,” Lundqvist told The New York Post. “He’s a champion, the best ever, so of course I’m interested in learning and taking what I can from him. But I don’t want to get into details.”
Earlier this year Federer defeated four top-10 players to win the Australian Open at the age of 35. The triumph occurred a six-month hiatus from the tour due to injury. Since then, the Swiss player has also won back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami.
In recent years Lundqvist has been seen watching Federer play at the US Open and Wimbledon. Both men are represented by marketing agency Team8, a company which was formed by Federer and Tony Godsick.
“I don’t think I have too much advice as he’s already so good at what he does,” Federer said about Lundqvist. “I do think he subscribes to the same things I do in the sense that he also believes there is no substitute for hard work. You can tell he loves hockey and loves his job. That mentality is especially helpful when you’re playing during a long season.”
The praise exchanged between the two athletes is a welcome sign in the world of sport. Still, Federer is the first to admit that there are differences between him and the ice hockey player.
“I always marvel at how intense and competitive he is, which is definitely needed at this high level of pro sports. There are definitely similarities between the two of us but I think by virtue of the [fact] that he plays a team sport and I play an individual sport there are also differences.” He explained.
“I do think we’re similar in the sense that we both are very focused internally on what we need to do in order to succeed”
Athletes seeking the advice of Federer come as no surprise. Besides being a 18-time grand slam champion, Forbes listed Federer as the fourth highest-paid athlete in 2016 with a total earning of $67.8 million. ESPN has also listed the 35-year-old as the fifth most famous sportsman in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
