Despite his no-nonsense demeanour on the court, Roger Federer has an underrated, fun side to him off it. A hilarious video of him hitting Gael Monfils has resurfaced online. The Swiss, who regularly does wall practice, is seen volleying balls at the wall where Monfils is standing. Needless to say, it results in a wacky outcome.
Federer is one of the most-loved tennis players, and fans continue to miss the legend. One tennis fan page recently reposted the video wherein Monfils ends up on the wrong side of Federer’s wall practice. The post has since gone viral on Instagram and shared on other platforms.
Roger Federer laughed after hitting Gael Monfils
Federer shared multiple videos of him practising tennis against a wall during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as the pandemic restrictions loosened, the 20-time Grand Slam winner stuck to the technique as a practice method.
A throwback video posted by a popular tennis fan page on Instagram shows Monfils standing next to a wall as Federer prepares to fire some balls at the same. The first couple of volleys missed the Frenchman by some distance, but the third struck him right in his privates. As he doubled down with pain, Federer could not hold back his laughter. Monfils’ wife Elina Svitolina also entered the frame, trying to hide her laughs. Federer jokingly threatened to volley another shot as Monfils smiled through the pain.
Fans reacted in the comments to this post. They joked about Monfils’ situation after getting hit. Some said Federer’s ‘dark side’ emerged and he knew what he was doing.
These fans may be right because Federer has shared videos showing great skills with the wall. During the pandemic, he released a bunch of such videos at regular intervals. In one such video, he can be seen pulling off various trick shots as he plays tennis against the wall amidst snow.
When Federer spoke about his retirement life
Federer bid adieu to the sport after a teary farewell in the 2022 Laver Cup in September last year. While many athletes miss playing after their retirement, the former World No.1 said he does not, and this allows him to follow tennis as a fan. In an interview with CNN (via Tennis Majors), he said he does not get involved in his kids’ tennis as well. Speaking to The New York Times, he expressed relief at being only a spectator at the 2023 Wimbledon. He said he felt content watching the game. He has been enjoying his retirement, travelling with family, attending the MET Gala and even joining Coldplay on stage during a concert.
Federer has become more active as a businessman. His personal RF brand keeps growing and the Swiss icon has also started his own sports agency, Team8. He has a massive endorsement deal with Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, even releasing a personal collection with them. He has raked in $95.1 million this year from his endorsements with Rolex, Credit Suisse, Mercedes Benz etc. With more than $1 billion in earnings and a net worth of $550 million, Federer is by far the richest tennis player. Safe to say he will deservedly continue enjoying his retirement.
