"Hugely inspired by Roger Federer on and off the court" - Deepika Padukone on why she would like to be 'a fly on the wall' in Swiss legend's house

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone recently said Roger Federer is the athlete that she draws inspiration from.

Federer won 20 Majors and 103 singles titles overall before bidding farewell to the sport in 2022. He won each of the four Grand Slams in his career at least once, making him one of just five male players in the Open Era to do so.

The tennis legend was a ball boy before he turned professional, and he once opened up to Vogue in their “73 Questions” edition about how he wanted to be remembered.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice," he had said.

Roger Federer has been a source of inspiration to many people across the globe, irrespective of their profession or background.

During the rapid-fire game on the recent episode of Koffee With Karan, Deepika Padukone was asked by the host Karan Johar in which celebrity’s home she would like to be a housefly.

“If you could be a fly on the wall in any celebrity’s house, who would it be and why?” asked Karan Johar.

Without much thought the actress answered:

“Roger Federer.”

Johar went on to ask why she named the tennis icon.

“Roger Federer. And why?” he asked.

She replied that she chooses athletes as her role models, and mentioned that Federer has been a source of inspiration as both a human and an athlete.

“Because I, I take inspiration from athletes and he's, he's what...I'm like hugely inspired by him on and off the court,” she explained.

Deepika Padukone, one of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood, hails from an athletic background; her father Prakash Padukone is a former professional badminton player. She herself played badminton in her school days, copmeting in national-level championships.

Roger Federer on his retirement from professional tennis

Roger Federer China Tennis Shanghai Masters Federer

Roger Federer announced his retirement on September 15, 2022, mentioning that the Laver Cup 2022 would be his last.

The former Swiss tennis legend won his 20th Grand Slam title by defeating Marin Cilic in the 2018 finals. He is the first male professional tennis player to win 20 Grand Slams.

Roger Federer has won the Wimbledon title eight times. He even broke Pete Sampra’s then record of most men’s Major titles overall when he won his 15th Grand Slam at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships.

Federer’s list of titles and achievements on and off the court is long, making him an inspiration for aspiring tennis players.