Roger Federer hosts tennis clinic in Olympic Stadium

Roger Federer visited Amsterdam on Wednesday to lead a tennis clinic for roughly 25 children on a temporary court inside the Olympic Stadium.

The event was organised as part of a campaign by clothing brand Uniqlo, aiming to make tennis and general sports participation more accessible in cities worldwide.

Charities including Save the Children and the Johan Cruyff Foundation selected the young participants, some of whom have physical disabilities or vulnerable home situations.

Rallies on the court

The session began with ten wheelchair tennis players, including 14-year-old Sven, who forced Federer to the net and scored with a sharp volley.

Another 14-year-old participant, Jernilius, managed to take a point off the 20-time Grand Slam winner following a ten-shot rally.

Federer then traded shots and technical advice with the remaining 15 children, offering tips on bending knees and following through on strokes.

Former Dutch wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer, who held the world number one ranking from 1999 to 2013, watched from the stands as an invited guest.

Questions from participants

After the games concluded, the children held a question session with Federer on the court.

Asked about his personal records and career, Federer recalled that his fastest serve reached about 208 kilometres per hour.

He also told the group that balancing school and sports had been challenging, and credited his success to hard work, curiosity and having fun.

Ahead of the clinic, Federer posted social media footage of himself cycling along the city canals, sampled a bitterball with cookbook author Pien Wekking, and visited the Concerto record store.

Source: Het Parool