'If you have any trouble in my country, just call me': Federer tears up as Maradona sends him touching personal message (VIDEO)
by RT
‘If you have any trouble in my country, just call me’: Federer tears up as Maradona sends him touching personal message (VIDEO)
It was one icon hailing another when Argentine football legend Diego Maradona paid tribute to tennis great Roger Federer – leading to the Swiss tearing up with pride.
Federer, 38, is on an exhibition tour in Latin American with young German star Alexander Zverev, with the pair facing off in five different countries over seven days.
After their match in Buenos Aires, won by Zverev, 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer was played a video message from local football icon Maradona, who had been invited to the match but was unable to attend.
“Hello master, machine, like I call you,” Maradona said. “You were, you are, and will always be the greatest. There is no other like you.
“I want you to know that if you have any kind of trouble in my country, you can call me and tell me what you need.”
Federer was visibly moved by the praise from the World Cup winner, tearing up as he smiled.
Despite his advancing years, the Swiss star recently dismissed any notion of retirement talk, saying “at this moment I see no reason to stop.
“I think in 2009 I questioned it for the first time. [It’s been] ten years and here I am. I’m exactly where I wanted to be at this age… I expected to play until 35-36 and here I am, in a new dimension.”
Federer ends the year as world number three, and has opted to embark on the exhibition tour in Latin America to close the year.
He will miss the inaugural ATP Cup in January, but will have a tilt at the Australian Open later that month as he bids to win a 21st Grand Slam and first since Melbourne in 2018.
Maradona, meanwhile, recently quit as manager of Argentine team Gimnasia after just two months in charge.
