Fan shows Roger Federer the tattoo he has dedicated to him & tennis legend couldn't believe it

There aren’t many bigger icons in the modern era of men’s tennis than Roger Federer.

Along with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and to some extent Andy Murray, he has dominated the last decade or so in scintillating fashion.

The Swiss star is adored by fans of the sport for more than just his exploits on the court. Just ask this one fan who recently had a shock encounter with Federer in what looks to be a pretty small and intimate restaurant.

After spotting Federer, the fan rises to his feet and admits his love for the man. He even has a tattoo inspired by the 20-time Grand Slam winner.

After some encouragement from the crowd, the man makes his way over to where the legend is seated.

Federer is gobsmacked when he sees a tattoo of a tennis court with a famous quote of his below it, as follows: “There is no way around hard work, embrace it. Roger Federer.”

He rubs at the ink to make sure it is indeed real and then gets up to hug his adorning supporter.

It is great to see that Federer is all smiles away from the court given his constant battles with injury. For the third time he has undergone a major knee surgery, and it’s unknown when he will make his return.

Federer was last in action almost a year ago when he was defeated in the quarter-final of Wimbledon. It was Polish international Hubert Hurkacz who bested him then and it remains to be seen when the man from Basel will next be back in action.

“How, why and to do what, I don’t yet know, but that would be the idea,” were the words of Federer when discussing a potential return to the court.

He is seeking a route back into the sport he so loves much but the path towards this won’t become any smoother overnight.