An emotional moment for tennis fans was when Roger Federer bid farewell to professional tennis at the 2022 Laver Cup. One such fan was Formula 1 driver George Russel who was present at the arena to watch Federer play for one last time.
Mercedes driver George Russell attended a match at the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters. It was the second-round match between Novak Djokovic and Ivan Gakhov.
During his time there, Russell shared his experience of competing at the Monaco Grand Prix and expressed his love for tennis. He revealed that Roger Federer was the tennis player he followed the most. He mentioned that the 20-time Grand Slam champion visited the Mercedes team while he attended the 2022 Barcelona Grand Prix and the Brit also visited to watch him at the 2022 Laver Cup.
What is so interesting is that the F1 star got to meet Roger Federer after the match and he promised to attend a Grand Prix sometime in the future.
“I really enjoy watching tennis. I always watch the big games. I think Roger was always the one who I followed the most. He came to Barcelona Grand Prix last year and he’s always given us so much time. I went to the Laver Cup as well.”
-George Russell at the Monte Carlo Masters
He was equally excited to see Novak Djokovic play for the first time and also had a chance to meet and talk to him after the match. The Brit later posted on social media his admiration for the Serb and thanked him for taking the time to meet him.
Djokovic who was seeded at No.1 beat qualifier Ivan Gakhov 7-6(5), 6-2.
“I don’t think I’ve seen Djokovic play before so excited to see him in action. Great day watching this man doing what he does best. Thanks for taking the time.”
-George Russell on Instagram
Roger Federer names his favorite F1 drivers
Roger Federer was there to enjoy the 2023 Miami Grand Prix. He mentioned that it was his third time at a Grand Prix event after Abu Dhabi and Barcelona last year where he attended the qualifying.
During his time there, he was quizzed about his favorite drivers to which he answered Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Federer also lauded Verstappen’s dominance over the last two seasons.
“It seems like he’s obviously got a great car, he’s an amazing driver too. I still hope for Lewis he’s going to have a great chance here and hopefully another great season. He’s been amazing, I’ve also gotten to meet Lewis on many occasions. I saw also George at the Laver Cup, he came to London at my big end and stuff. I showed him around, I was the host so now he’s like kind of the host here. So, I wish him well but of course Max is doing incredible work at the moment.”
-Roger Federer at the Miami Grand Prix
