In Pictures: Roger Federer brings out his inner dancer; poses with ballerinas on his ballet visit to the Palais Garnier in Paris

Roger Federer paid a visit to the historic opera house, Palais Garnier, in Paris on Thursday, May 23. Federer posed for photos with the stars of the Paris Opera Ballet and the Royal Ballet and even joined them for a morning class.

Federer is no stranger to Paris, the city where he completed his career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in 2009. But this time, he was not there to compete on the clay courts of Roland Garros but to visit the Palais Garnier, one of the most famous opera houses in the world.

The Palais Garnier is a magnificent 1,979-seat opera house that was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 by Emperor Napoleon III.

During his visit, the 42-year-old met the Royal Ballet's principal ballerina Marianela Nunez. She posted a picture of their meeting on her Instagram account, where she and the tennis legend can be seen posing together on the main stage of the auditorium hall in the Palais Garnier.

"One of the people who inspires me the most daily. For his great talent, discipline, intelligence and so many other qualities. He knew how to transform sport into art. @rogerfederer, my deep admiration and respect," Nunez wrote on Instagram.

"Thank you for so much…That’s why meeting him in this Temple of Dance, on this stage dreamed of me in the last 20 years is a great gift… one I will keep in my heart forever," she added.

The Swiss shared the picture on his Instagram story and wrote:

"Such a pleasure to meet you, wishing you only the best for your performance in Paris."

Roger Fedrer on Instagram

The 20-time Grand Slam champion had the opportunity to meet some of the ballet dancers, who were rehearsing for their upcoming performances at the Palais Garnier. The Swiss joined them for a morning class and posed for pictures with the group of ballerinas and ballerinos, wearing a casual outfit of a brown full-sleeve t-shirt and black trousers.

One of the female ballerinas posted a picture of their meeting on her Instagram account, with a caption:

"Just a normal Thursday…partnering with the legendary @rogerfederer during morning class. Tennis meeting Ballet. Love my job!!!"

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Top photographer Radka Leitmeritz once likened Roger Federer to a ballet dancer

The Swiss in action during the 2017 Wimbledon Championships

Roger Federer's one-handed backhand is widely recognized as extraordinarily beautiful. His elegance and poise on the tennis court caught the eye of renowned fashion photographer Radka Leitmeritz.

The Czech photographer, known for capturing the aesthetics of tennis, regards the Swiss as her favorite subject, likening his fluid movements on the court to those of a ballet dancer.

"I love shooting Roger, he's like a ballet dancer. He's just so perfect, how he plays is very photogenic. For me it's so amazing to be in the photographers pit, sometimes I'm thinking what the hell am I doing here," Leitmeritz said in a 2020 interview with Tennis.com.