It is amazing how the top tennis stars can so effortlessly switch from being fierce rivals on the court to the best of pals during training sessions. Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka gifted tennis fans one of the most competitive matches in recent memory at the Australian Open this year where the eventual champion Federer went on to edge his countryman in five sets in the semi-finals.
And yet, at their very next tournament at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships that is scheduled to begin on February 27, they were back to being a bunch of gleeful kids on the practice court. In a one-minute Youtube video released by the ATP that expectedly generated over 20,000 views in less than a day, the two can be seen at their childish best, tickling each other for fun and laughing away during a break from training.
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The video paints such a carefree picture of the two Swiss superstars that one won’t be at fault for forgetting that the two share as many as 21 Grand Slam titles between them and that they both are the reigning champions at two of the four annual tennis Slams.
Federer and Wawrinka have both won this very popular ATP 500 event at Dubai. While the 18-time Grand Slam champion has triumphed at this Middle Eastern event seven times, Wawrinka is seeking to successfully defend the title that he won last year.
The US Open winner Wawrinka is the higher seed at second and he opens his campaign against 79th ranked Damir Dzhumhur. The third-seeded Federer, in contrast, has a tricky opening opponent in the World No. 41 Benoit Paire.
The former World No. 1 has the top seed Andy Murray looming large in the semi-finals. If he can surmount that barrier, he could come face-to-face with Wawrinka in the final.
One thing is guaranteed – there would be no joking around then!
Video: Roger Federer and Andy Murray play beach tennis at Dubai
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