Tennis legend Roger Federer has admitted he will apologise to Carlos Alcaraz after he snubbed him as a youngster at Wimbledon.
Federer will be in attendance at the Laver Cup this week in Berlin with Alcaraz headlining Team Europe this year.
Captain Bjorn Borg’s side will be desperate to exact revenge on Team Europe after a 13-2 thrashing in Vancouver last year.
And with Alcaraz in the side, the odds might have tipped Europe’s favour with the 21-year-old already looking a formidable force.
Roger Federer accidentally snubbed Carlos Alcaraz many years ago
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Not that Federer noticed when he came across the Spaniard many years ago at Wimbledon.
“I barely know Carlos Alcaraz so I’m really excited to see him play for the very first time,” the Swiss maestro said on Tuesday.
“I only practiced once with him at Wimbledon when he was still a junior.
“And then the next day, my coach said, ‘Do you want to warm up with him again?’
“I said, ‘No, it’s okay, I’d rather warm up with his coach, who was my generation, Juan Carlos Ferrero.’ I can apologise to Carlos this week.”
Whether Alcaraz can even remember the incident remains to be seen – not that it has knocked his confidence in tennis.
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Carlos Alcaraz has since won four Grand Slams, including two Wimbledon titles
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“I have watched this event several times, so I am looking forward to it.
“I have always seen a great atmosphere on television, with coaching, supporting each other in every match, it is very fun.
“Additionally, I believe we have a great team that can bring back the title.”
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Roger Federer has said he will apologise to Carlos Alcaraz
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Alcaraz headlines the team, though there is plenty of talent in the squad alongside the tennis star, who will be joined by team-mates Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“I think that Team Europe is very strong this year, it’s stacked,” Federer added.
“In the singles matches, we are heavy favourites even though I know that Team World has great players right now that are red hot and playing super well.
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