When this former tennis player felt Roger Federer 'not all that great' and paid a heavy price

The world of tennis has been left in deep mourning since Roger Federer, one of the best the sport has seen, announced his retirement on Thursday (15) saying the upcoming Laver Cup in the UK will be his final assignment.

Tributes have poured in for the Swiss star, including from legends from other sports such as cricket and football.

However, a former American player chose to salute the legend in another way. Mardy Fish, 40, has recalled how delighted he was after finding that he would meet Federer in the third round of Wimbledon in 2003 as he felt the little-known opponent was "not so great" and was more than confident that he would have a cakewalk against him.

But as things turned out, Federer went on to crush Fish 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 and eventually won his maiden Grand Slam title in that tournament, beating Australia's Mark Philippoussis in straight sets.

Recalling his defeat against the iconic player, Fish on Friday (16) tweeted, "What are your favorite @rogerfederer moments? I’ll start…2003 Wimbledon, 3rd Rd I play this Federer guy. Called a friend after my 2nd Rd win and said “I think I’ve got a great draw now. I don’t think this guy is all that great!” Got crushed and he won the tournament."

Fish has not gone past the quarter-final of any Grand Slam tournament while Federer won 19 more titles after the 2003 crown.

In his 24-year career, Federer was admired for his elegant play on the court and remained the No.1 player for 237 consecutive weeks.

However, with his body not getting any younger, Federer tried one last time to return to the court. He played in Wimbledon last year after undergoing his third knee surgery but could not make it beyond the quarter-final. He dropped out of the ATP rankings a few weeks ago due to inactivity and announced that the Laver Cup will be last outing.

His last Grand Slam title came in 2018 when he won the Australian Open. He was the first to win 20 Grand Slams but later Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21), the other two members of contemporary tennis's triumvirate, surpassed him.