Basketball Anyone? Roger Federer For Shanghai Tennis Masters By Visiting Golden State Warriors

By Ricky Dimon
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Updated: October 9, 2017

Photo by @rogerfederer via Instagram

By Ricky Dimon

The greatest tennis player of all time (well, some would try to argue that) ran into the greatest basketball team of the present day this past weekend in Shanghai.

Roger Federer is in town for the Shanghai Rolex Masters, while the Golden State Warriors are there on a preseason tour in advance of the 2017-18 NBA season. Before Federer concerns himself with the competition at the second to last Masters 1000 tournament of the year, he made an appearance in the Warriors’ locker room. The 36-year-old swiss talked with Golden State players including Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, and everyone got to enjoy a Federer highlight reel. Federer also posed for a photo with former NBA star Yao Ming.

“This is highly unusual for me to go into the locker room of another sport, really, especially before a game and this far away from the (United) States, here in Shanghai,” Federer commented. “It’s kind of cool. Everybody’s laid back. I love meeting fellow athletes.”

As for the task at hand, the world No. 2 is back in action for the first time since the U.S. Open. Federer has won this event once since its inaugural year in 2009, lifting the trophy in 2014. He will begin his bid for a second title when he faces either Diego Schwartzman or Jordan Thompson on the heels of a first-round bye.

With Rafael Nadal seeded first and Federer second this week, they cannot go head-to-head until the final. Nadal is riding a 12-match winning streak heading into Shanghai thanks to recent titles at the U.S. Open and in Beijing.

Defending champion Andy Murray, of course, is still rehabbing a hip injury. Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, and Milos Raonic are also sidelined.

Still, Nadal and Federer could get plenty of competition in the form of Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov, and Juan Martin Del Potro, among others. Del Potro did not have the luxury of an opening bye, but he took care of Nikoloz Basilashvili during first-round action on Monday.