Roger Federer gets identified by local fan in Shanghai during trip to vegetable market
Roger Federer was recently invited by the Rolex Shanghai Masters to take a casual stroll down the city. The Swiss maestro made seven appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, winning two titles in 2014 and 2017.
The 20-time Major winner retired from professional tennis in September 2022 following struggles with a chronic left knee. He has since been focussing on his various business partnerships with Rolex, Mercedes-Benz and Moet & Chandon, among other big brands.
The social media handle of Rolex Shanghai Masters recently uploaded a short clip on their website, where tournament host Jason visited the 42-year-old at the latter’s hotel. After a brief exchange of courtesies, the duo began exploring Shanghai’s city life.
Roger Federer and Jason were met with a light evening drizzle upon setting out, but that didn’t stop their Shanghai excursion. They eventually stumbled upon an alley full of grocery stores. A small vegetable shop caught the host’s attention soon after.
The duo then took a look at the fresh vegetables in front of them, before a bystander interrupted them. The awestruck Chinese native quickly recognized the 20-time Major winner much to their surprise. He also disclosed that he had watched the Swiss maestro play at the Qi Zhong Stadium — the venue where the Rolex Shanghai Masters has been held since its inception.
The 42-year-old was visibly pleased as he thanked the local fan for his enthusiasm. The interaction ended with the local fan exclaiming to the shopkeeper: “He is Roger Federer!”
Roger Federer dominated his arch-rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to win his two Shanghai Masters titles
Roger Federer enjoyed playing on fast hardcourts during his 24-year-long career on the ATP Tour. He naturally performed better at tournaments that employed his surface of choice, with the Rolex Shanghai Masters being one of them.
Federer won his first title at the ATP Masters tournament in 2012. The Swiss maestro saved five match points in his opener against Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer, before downing World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets en route to the title.
Federer recorded another triumph in Shanghai three years later, defeating arch-rival Rafael Nadal in the championship match in straight sets. Apart from his title victories, he finished as the runner-up in 2010 and reached two semifinals in 2012 and 2018.
Federer’s last campaign at the Rolex Shanghai Masters came in 2019, where he lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. The Swiss injured his left knee the following year, requiring three arthroscopic surgeries to rectify the issue. He eventually hung up his racket at the 2022 Laver Cup in London.
