"The practice with Roger Federer was something special, I enjoyed every single hour I had with him on court" - Dominic Stricker

Roger Federer has inspired young tennis aspirants around the world, but not many have had the good fortune of having practiced with the tennis legend.

Dominic Stricker is one of those rare individuals who has had the privilege of sharing the tennis court with the Swiss maestro.

Over the course of an ATP video, the Swiss teenager introduces himself, lists his achievements, and highlights the time spent with his senior counterpart, Federer, in practice.

"The practice with Roger, I think that was something special. I enjoyed every single hour I had with him on court. I am really happy that I had this time to take the chance to play with him," Stricker says in the video.

The 19-year-old also summed up his tennis journey from the time he began playing the game as a five-year-old to winning the French Open boys' title.

"I am Dominic Stricker from Berne, Switzerland. I started playing tennis when I was about 5 years old. My junior career was pretty special. I played pretty good in Israel. Everything started there and then I could play the slams for the first year and then my last Slam I played the French Open. I won the singles and doubles so it was pretty special," says the teenager.

Stricker became the first Swiss player since Stan Wawrinka to win a boys' Grand Slam final when he defeated countryman Leandro Riedi in the final of the 2020 edition at Roland Garros.

He also won the French Open boys' doubles title alongside Flavio Cobolli the same year.

Dominic Stricker is the third-youngest Swiss to win ATP Challenger event after Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka

Dominic Stricker in action during the Wimbledon qualifiers

After receiving a wildcard for the 2021 BSI Challenger in Lugano, Stricker won the title, defeating Vitaliy Sachko in the final. He thus became the third-youngest player from his country after Federer and Wawrinka to win a Challenger event at age 18.

Stricker's first ATP win came against Marin Cilic when he made his debut at the 2021 Geneva Open.

The teenager breached the top 200 earlier this year after reigning supreme at the 2022 Cleveland Open. More success followed for the Munsingen-born player when he won the Zug Open in Switzerland on Sunday.

The youngster beat Ernests Gublis 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in the final. By virtue of the win on home soil in front of a packed crowd, Stricker is poised to breach the top 130 for the first time ever.