“I felt so silly” – Tom Hiddleston recalls meeting Roger Federer and asking for a photograph at 2019 US Open

British actor Tom Hiddleston recently recalled his meeting with Roger Federer in New York at the 2019 US Open.

Federer graced the courts at Flushing Meadows for the last time in 2019, and reached the quarterfinals of the New York Major that year. He squared off against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov in his last match at the US Open and lost 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6.

The Swiss also met Loki actor Tom Hiddleston, who had stopped by to watch the tennis action from the stands. Hiddleston reminisced about that interaction during a recent conversation with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

Hiddleston said he felt starstruck in the 20-time Grand Slam champion's company. He also admitted to asking the Swiss for a photograph.

"I did ask for a photograph, four years ago, when I was at the US Open and we ran into Roger Federer," he said. "I was completely overwhelmed because I love Roger. He was so gracious and so sweet. I felt so silly for asking."

Hiddleston added that he developed an amicable bond with the Swiss after the brief meeting in New York.

"I was encouraged by my present company and by his team like ‘Go and ask him, he loves it’. Then actually we became friends, sort of pen pals, so I’ve been to see him play tennis," the Brit added.

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"Roger Federer is so easy to talk to, he puts everyone at ease" - Jim Courier

Laver Cup 2023 - Day 1

Former tennis player Jim Courier recently praised Roger Federer for his ability to make people around him comfortable.

"Roger's the best. He's so easy to talk to, and happy and puts everyone at ease," he said during a conversation with the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast.

Courier weighed in on his experience of interviewing the 42-year-old during the 2023 Laver Cup in Vancouver, Canada.

"It was a weird interview cause it wasn't all my questions. Normally when I talk to Roger, I'm isolated and I just do my thing. This one was very heavily produced," Courier added.

The four-time Slam champion further said there's hardly a dull moment during an interaction with Federer.

"But it was cool because there were crowd questions and there were some video questions," he said. "So it had a rhythm. There's a little, little difference, but none of that phase is Roger. He just keeps giving you great content."