Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, September 22, 2024
Laver Cup's iconic charcoal-colored court hosted a dream team this week.
A couple of days before Team World launched its Laver Cup defense vs. Team Europe, Roger Federer made tennis dreams come true for top Canadian juniors.
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The 20-time Grand Slam champion hosted 12 of Tennis Canada's top juniors in a clinic sponsored by Uniqlo at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
The Next Gen Development Program with Roger Federer was held on September 20th at Roger's Arena, Vancouver, before the Laver Cup tournament, where Uniqlo is the official apparel sponsor providing uniforms for all on-site and on-court roles. Federer is a long-time brand ambassador for Uniqlo.
Former world No. 1 Federer and his coach of 16 years, Severin Luthi, provided coaching and mentoring for 12 highly talented junior tennis players, who have been national champions or rank highly within their age categories.
The program also included a meet-and-greet session for a wider audience of young tennis fans who joined the event. Federer also conducted a Q&A with the juniors after the clinic.
"It's always a privilege to connect with young people through Uniqlo's Next Generation Development Program," Federer said. "I hope our event here in Vancouver will further refine the skills of all the excellent young players who attended.
"In addition, I hope it provides some inspiration for them to pursue and reach their full potential, whether in tennis, or in life."
The Federer clinic in Vancouver this week was part of Uniqlo broader Next Generation Development. The brand says it aims to "generate social progress by developing young people through sport."
Photo credit: Uniqlo