How a lunch with Roger Federer fuelled Mikaela Shiffrin’s stunning 83rd World Cup performance


<strong>How a lunch with Roger Federer fuelled Mikaela Shiffrin’s stunning 83rd World Cup performance</strong>

Roger Federer and Mikaela Shiffrin [Image Credit: GQ Espana/CNN]

The queen of alpine skiing, Mikaela Shiffrin, who won the 84th World Cup, admits that her performance to an extent was thanks to having lunch with the tennis legend Roger Federer. Federer is both her idol and the reason he got her inspiration back.

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Last year after the disappointing Beijing Olympics performance, Mikaela received an invitation from Federer to join him at his Swiss home. His invitation came the perfect moment when the alpine queen needed a break. 

Not only did meeting Federer rejuvenate her motivation to look forward, but she also stated that his words had given her the confidence to keep on going further. Breaking Lindsey Vonn’s 82nd record while adding her 84th win shortly, Mikaela is closing the gap between Ingemar Kronplatz.

Related: Mikaela Shiffrin opens up about mental health issues after getting inspired by legendary gymnast Simone Biles

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Mikaela Shiffrin shares how Roger Federer motivated her during her downtime

Roger Federer and Mikaela Shiffrin [Image Credit: Unofficial Networks]
Roger Federer and Mikaela Shiffrin [Image Credit: Unofficial Networks]

Having failed to perform at the highest levels, expectations can sometimes dim the light of confidence. As seen in Mikaela Shiffrin’s case, she overcame and overpowered her shortcomings at an incredible speed. Starting this season, Mikaela’s been on fire, as she goes on crashing records with extraordinary drive.

Shiffrin told the Wall Street Journal, “I feel like that lunch happened at a time when I really needed a reason to be positive and excited”. “He [Federer] was saying, ‘in order to preserve the longevity of your career, you need to take the moments to look around, appreciate where you are, breathe it in’.

“As he got more into the depths of his career, when it gets harder to kind of look up and around you and appreciate everything right in that moment, is when it’s the most important to do it.” She further added how speaking with Federer cleared up the clustering clouds over her head.

Federer advised her to  “enjoy the most incredible moments because what you do is incredible”. “And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Roger Federer’s talking to me about my career.’ It was a little bit hard to really reel it all in and understand everything he was even saying, because I was sort of awestruck the entire time.

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Mikaele said that after talking with the legend, for the first time she felt like she got rid of the “yucky feeling that I had there”. Looking at her potential, Roger Federer foresighted that she can go on performing for decades if she so wishes. His words burned the uneasy feeling the 27-year-old had as she said, “could definitely see a few more years” performing.

She also noted the reaction of the competitors when they saw Roger Federer in Lenzerheide, “All of the women were like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re showing Roger – Roger Federer’s here!” She stated that they were more nervous to see the legend there than having tension in the race. 

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