Former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson is making a comeback to competitive tennis after 14 months.
The South African did not win any Grand Slam titles, and the highest he reached was two finals appearances - against Rafael Nadal in the US Open 2017 and against Novak Djokovic in the 2018 Wimbledon Men's Singles.
He is giving pro tennis another shot after retiring in May 2022, and this time, he has more confidence in his game, thanks to one man he did not expect to meet randomly in the US - Roger Federer.
Anderson, 37, shared that he always gets intimidated by the likes of Nadal, Federer, and Novak, but a meeting in Florida with the Swiss star helped him think through his mindset.
"Roger Federer was actually in town, visiting. He came out to the courts and it was really a pretty profound experience," Anderson told ATP Tour.
"For me, I feel like looking back at my career, I was always pretty intimidated by some of the top guys."
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He shared that during their conversation, he became "very shifty" in the presence of Federer, and that is what he is trying to change now as he ventures on a comeback.
"It was fascinating listening to him, arguably the best player of all time in terms of his ball striking, and just hearing the insights he had. It was a really cool experience," he said.
Lost passion, found new hope
Anderson retired from professional tennis in May last year, citing lost passion but insisted that he gave it his best.
He is back and is now participating in the 2023 Hall of Fame Open and is hoping he can make the most out of this second rodeo.
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