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One of Roger Federer\u2019s old rivals claimed that the former world No 1 was \u201cbad\u201d at tennis when he was younger. Fernando Gonzalez formed a friendship with the 20-time Grand Slam champion during their childhood days but said he was the best while Federer was one of the worst players. Federer went on to get his revenge when they turned pro, beating him a total of 12 times in 13 career meetings.<\/p>\n
Federer earned himself a reputation as one of the greatest tennis players of all time during his 24-year playing career. The Swiss star became the first man to win a total of 20 Grand Slam trophies – eventually being surpassed by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He also won a total of 103 titles during his career and spent 968 weeks inside the world\u2019s top 10.<\/p>\n
But it appears that the 42-year-old wasn\u2019t always destined for greatness as one of his old rivals revealed that he wasn\u2019t one of the good players as a child. Former world No 5 Gonzalez recently opened up on his bond with Federer, as the pair go back decades.<\/p>\n
While the Chilean tennis star ended his career with a 1-12 record against Federer, he was the superior player when they were children. \u201cI have known him since we were 12 or 13 years old and I must say that, at that age, he was bad,\u201d the Olympic gold medallist in doubles told TNT Sports.<\/p>\n
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive tennis news<\/strong><\/p>\n Just in <\/strong> Nadal’s doctor discusses ‘difficult situation’ as Spaniard prepares for farewell[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI remember perfectly that, in under-14 tournaments, I was the best in the world and Federer was not among the good ones.\u201d But Gonzalez ended up forming a friendship with his younger rival as he was left impressed by Federer\u2019s willingness to learn.<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cHe was a year younger and at that age it is very noticeable due to the physical issue. I was impressed that he did not hesitate to approach me and asked me many questions. We established a very good relationship and we were always together at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/72\/590x\/secondary\/5001944.jpg?r=1696847587836\")
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