Izyan Ahmad Looks Back on the Viral Press Conference Moment with Roger Federer Ahead of Playing Indian Wells Qualifiers
Izyan Ahmad has been training in John McEnroe Tennis Academy since he was six years old.
Follow Us
Roger Federer and Izyan Ahmad (via X/Jose Morgado/Indian Tennis Daily)
15-year-old tennis prodigy Izyan ‘Zizou’ Ahmad received the opportunity of a lifetime in 2017 when he asked Roger Federer a question at a press conference, has been handed a wildcard in the qualifying rounds of the Indian Wells Open. The unranked star has an opportunity to make it to the main draw of the Masters 1000 tournament.
At the 2017 US Open, 7-year-old Ahmad was given a privilege by the organizers to be at the press conference. He was seated among other kids during Federer’s press briefing and asked the tennis legend why people called him the GOAT (greatest of all time) tennis player. The former World No.1 made a joke of the question.
However, little did Federer or anyone in the room know that eight and a half years later, Ahmad would be playing in the Indian Wells Open. The 15-year-old is an unranked player as he still competes in the Boys category. He was handed a wild card to take on the third seed Thiago Augustin Tirante.
He fell to Tirante in straight sets on Monday (March 2) at the tournament. But the teenager will never forget his experience with Federer five years in 2022 in Switzerland, where he got to hit with the tennis legend on clay court. The young American also had a good one-on-one chat with Federer.
Although Ahmad will not get to play Federer on the court in his career, as the former World No.1 retired in 2022, the memory of the 2017 press conference remains with him and has been circulating on social Media ahead of the tournament. He told the ATP the reason why he asked Federer about being labeled the GOAT in 2017:
He’s been my favourite since I was little, so I thought hard about what to ask. I didn’t want something boring or something he had answered a thousand times. I wanted it to be different. So I came up with this joke. It wasn’t that funny but for a seven-year-old, it worked. After he said he’d think about playing longer, my mom, who was next to me, whispered: ‘Ask him if it’s a pinky promise’. That’s the part that got clipped.
Ahmad will hope to get a chance to meet Jannik Sinner and Australian Open champion Carlos Alcaraz at the Indian Wells Open. Sinner and Alcaraz are the two top players in the men’s circuit and have taken over from where Federer left off on the court. The pair are also the favorites to win the match despite the presence of Novak Djokovic.
Izyan Ahmad opens up about his relationship with tennis legend John McEnroe
Izyan Ahmad qualified for the US Open Boys singles draw last year, which gave him an opportunity to hit with World No.8 Felix Auger-Aliassime ahead of the tournament kick-off. The American star has been dubbed as one of the budding stars in the sport. He has trained at the tennis legend John McEnroe Tennis Academy on Randall’s Island in New York.
He has been training at the Academy since he was six years old. The 15-year-old has formed a great relationship with McEnroe, who has also made sure he learned the ropes of the game as he continues to grow. During the aforementioned interview, Ahmad revealed that McEnroe has been his mentor at the complex and he wouldn’t have had the privilege he has had without the former World No.1:
He [McEnroe] is there every day. If he sees me, he’ll stop and talk. We hit together often. He’s very invested, and I’m extremely grateful for that. He doesn’t have to take time out of his day to give advice or practice with me, but he does. He watches me train, comes into the gym. He’s just a great human being. Very relaxed off the court, very competitive on it. I respect him a lot. If it weren’t for his academy, I wouldn’t be here.
The Indian Wells Open will give Ahmad a good experience of what a top-level tournament is all about. He hopes to meet Roger Federer at the tournament, even though there’s a huge likelihood that will not happen as the sport legend might not make any appearance in the California desert.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)