Roger Federer's classy message to Joao Fonseca as Laver Cup star feels the nerves

Roger Federer had a classy message for Joao Fonseca after greeting the Brazilian teenager ahead of the Laver Cup. Fonseca is representing Team World, having been called up by captain Andre Agassi for the very first time. He will line up alongside Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Francisco Cerundolo, Alex Michelsen and Reilly Opelka for the eighth edition of the tournament.

Ahead of his first match, Fonseca managed to fulfil a lifelong dream that made his Laver Cup debut even more unforgettable. He grew up idolising Federer and was given the opportunity to chat about tennis with the Swiss legend, who co-founded the tournament in 2017. Fonseca was visibly delighted to meet the 44-year-old but had to battle some nerves ahead of time.

In a video posted by the Laver Cup on Instagram, the young Brazilian was seen waiting for Federer on court at the Chase Center in San Francisco. He turned to the camera and said: "My hands are sweating because I'm going to meet Roger."

A little while later, Federer emerged from the players' tunnel and greeted a beaming Fonseca before congratulating him on his rapid rise.

"Nice to meet you, it's a pleasure," he said. "Congratulations on everything so far. Well done, you've had a great career so far."

Fonseca then said: "They only told me 10 minutes ago that I was going to meet Roger," and pointed to his sweaty palms. Federer replied: "I'm sorry for the wait. Come and have a seat."

There were smiles all around as the two players chatted for a while before shaking hands again and posing for pictures. Fonseca will be delighted that he finally got to meet his boyhood hero before making his Laver Cup debut.

He previously revealed that Federer was the reason he got into tennis, saying at the Australian Open: "My idol was always Roger. I grew up watching Roger. Of course, I think everyone wanted to play like him."

A few weeks later, Fonseca insisted that Federer was the greatest player of all time despite Novak Djokovic having more Grand Slam titles under his belt.

In an interview with Brazilian media, he said: "You can say Djokovic is the best of all time, but for me, there is no way. Djokovic may be the best of all time, but Federer is the greatest. He has no rival."

Only time will tell if Fonseca will be able to do his idol proud at the Laver Cup, having emerged as one of tennis' most promising young stars over the last 12 months.

To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or newsletter.