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Is Roger Federer Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson of Tennis? Swiss Maestro’s Viral X Tweet Makes Fans Nostalgic

Puranjay Dixit
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Is Roger Federer Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson of Tennis? Swiss Maestro's Viral X Tweet Makes Fans Nostalgic

An unlikely social media interaction between Roger Federer and WWE Superstar and actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson resurfaced and made fans nostalgic. The duo are the most iconic names in their respective fields and linked up on X (formerly Twitter) a few years ago.

A few days after Johnson’s movie Jumanji hit the theatres in late 2017, Federer posted an image of himself on X with a light-hearted reference to the movie. Johnson’s character in the movie has a trait called ‘smouldering intensity’. The Swiss legend asked if his attempt at pulling off the look was successful. The actor labelled it ‘perfect’ and said there is no going wrong for the GOAT Federer. He also added that his character in the movie has no weaknesses, like the 20-time Grand Slam winner.

Federer and Johnson are the most influential athletes in their respective disciplines. They are also amongst the most decorated in their fields. Federer has 20 Grand Slam titles, the third-highest for men’s singles. He holds a host of other records, including most consecutive weeks at World No.1. Johnson shot to fame when attached to the WWE stable and became famous as The Rock. He had 10 World Championship runs. He was one of the biggest crowd-pullers at the peak of his professional wrestling career and is hailed as an all-time great by many. Johnson may have retired and turned to acting full-time, but his legacy from the ring will always stand strong.

Federer, similarly, has carved a permanent spot for himself in tennis history. His contributions and feats in tennis will always be a testament to the greatness he achieved on the court during his active career.

Roger Federer versus Dwayne Johnson – Who is richer and more popular?

Dwayne Johnson had a long run with the WWE, debuting in 1996 and retiring only in 2019. His appearances were very sporadic in his latter years but fans waited with bated breath every time a return was announced for the The Rock. He has been acting in movies since 2001 and became a bonafide superstar at the turn of the last decade. His films have grossed over $12.5 billion worldwide, making Johnson one of the most successful box-office stars of all time. As per Celebrity Net Worth, his fruitful acting career has boosted his net worth to $800 million. 

Federer, meanwhile, played his first pro tennis match in 1998, two years after Johnson first stepped into the ring. He retired in 2022 as the wealthiest tennis player of all time. His net worth of $550 million dwarves his fellow athletes from the sport. His immense brand value contributed to making him the richest tennis player. However, he trails Hollywood superstar Johnson.

The Rock also beats Federer in online popularity. The latter has a comparatively modest 12.1 million followers on Instagram while the former is far ahead with 393 million. The gap is much smaller on X, but the American still leads with 17.1 million followers to the Swiss icon’s 12.7 million. This shows how much tennis lags in mass popularity and also how far Hollywood and WWE stardom reaches.

About the author

Puranjay Dixit

Puranjay Dixit

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Puranjay is a Tennis Journalist at The SportsRush. He has written more than 300 articles on the sport. Ask him anything about tennis and he is ready to come up with well-crafted answers. He has been following tennis ever since his parents introduced him to the game when he was 10. His favourite player may be Rafael Nadal, but ask him who's the GOAT, and he'll say, Novak Djokovic. He may be pursuing a degree in an unrelated field, but creating quality sports content remains his first love.

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