Philipp Lahm: Getting close to the best was an inspiration for Roger Federer and myself

Federer’s dream of becoming a tennis pro was born when he was a ball boy which is something I can relate to as a footballer

Team Europe's Roger Federer. Photo: John Walton/PA Wire.

In a video made of Roger Federer when he was 36 and had 19 grand slams to his name, the great tennis player looks at pictures from an earlier time, when he was a ballboy at the Swiss Open in Basel. You hardly recognise him because he’s so young. In another section of the video he stands guard for the winner Michael Stich, who presents them with medals.

“I loved being a ballboy,” he says in the video. “I had the opportunity to see the best players up close.” The adult Federer smirks at the “shining eyes” of the child Federer, getting shiny eyes himself. “Like it was yesterday.”