They say life is a series of missed opportunities but what goes past us once, comes back in some form or another. For a lucky Stanford University alumnus, Shreyas Lakhtakia who is an MS student from the batch of 2023, the statement has never been truer until recently. On a normal day, when he was just casually biking on his campus, he went past none other than tennis GOAT Roger Federer.
Thinking that maybe his eyes fooled him at first, Lakhtakia rechecked. And to his bemusement, it was indeed the 20-time Grand Slam winner. Here’s how he narrated his experience:
“I had just finished my workout at Nearillaga when I noticed a guy biking past. I did a double take, uncertain if it was indeed Roger Federer,” said Lakhtakia.
The Stanford Alumni became aware of this incident and shared this happy story on their Facebook page. Lakhtakia was floored by the humility and kindness of Federer. As is popularly known, Roger Federer is one of the nicest, most humble sportspersons alive. This encounter at Stanford University is just further proof of that.
“Luckily, he turned and biked back, confirming it was him! He was exploring the campus with a couple of others—no commotion, no special treatment,” Lakhtakia continued.
Roger Federer is legendary for his interaction with fans, sometimes even debunking certain misconceptions critics have about him. There are countless instances of people meeting him and finding him as pleasant as expected if not more. The reason this was a big deal for Lakhtakia is that he had previously traveled to London and New York for the Wimbledon and the US Open respectively.
The sole purpose of these travels was to get a glimpse of the Swiss legend. However, he never got to meet him on either occasion. As strange and funny as luck is, he ended up meeting him on his college campus.
Lakhtakia went on, “I’ve been to the US Open and Wimbledon, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Yet, of all places, I ran into him here on campus out of the blue and even had a small chat! I could have never imagined having such a conversation if I had met him in any other setting!”
Federer’s friendly gesture and humble courtesy towards Lakhtakia didn’t just end there. He even extended his generosity towards his friends and had dinner with the whole Stanford team on the last weekend. They had the time of their lives.
To my tennis family and beyond,
With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022
Roger Federer has been a lifelong fan of biking
Whenever Federer is taking a break from tennis, he mostly goes biking/cycling. With an affinity for the Swiss Alps, the Basel-born tennis star loves to go mountain biking in that region, The Bernese Alps are also part of his oft-frequented place on the bike. Federer has stressed the importance of biking/cycling and has maintained it’s important for physical fitness. According to Sport World News, he once spoke about the intricate relationship between Switzerland, his home country, and biking.
Federer said, “I was told there are something like 65,000 kilometers of cycle paths in Switzerland. Hiking and cycling are two activities to consider for those who want to go to our country. Some of the most spectacular hiking trails can be found near Gstaad in the Bernese Alps area.”
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Since this piece of news is from 2021, he even said back then, that once he retired, he would spend his time exploring more mountain bike trails. Federer will always remain a legend, someone who inspired more players than ever, and who impacted the game like never before.
