Every tennis lover will have ever heard the name of Izyan Ahmadalso known as Zizouor same as the boy who asked him, at a press conference to Roger Federerto continue playing many more years to face him when he is professional. That boy has already grew up and in this US Open, where the junior picture disputes, ESPN He had the possibility of chatting with the tennis player himself about that episode and about his actuality.
Removing that encounter with the Swiss, the 15 -year -old told how it was to have met him and how he had the fact of having fulfilled that promise five years later: “The question I asked him went viral and promised that he would return. Over the years, when I was 12, His agent contacted my parents and told them that they wanted him to happen, making me a surprise and made the false story. We had friends in Switzerland, so it is easy to make a story that we were going there, ”he said with a smile.
“My father lied to me and told me that I wanted to stay and continue training. They took me to this national club and I was just with my coach. In a moment we sat down and there all madness began. The great revelation was when Mr. Federer came, it was surprising to me. I was very happy. We had to play a little and, after that, he talked to me for a long time and had a dinner. It was a great experience for me”, Confirmed the tennis player who fell in the first round of the US Open Junior against the Spanish Tito Chavez.
Clearly these things do not usually happen to everyone, except when talking about a great figure of world sport such as Roger Federer himself, the idol of the young Zizou: “My favorite player of all time is Roger. With everything he has always achieved will be him “. Although he also highlighted in his short career the presence of John Mcenroe, who constantly supported him thanks to being part of his academy: John McEnroe Tennis Academy (Jmta) “He supports me so much and I see it every day. He is an amazing guy.”
A Roger that left him a curious advice for life and still seem to remember daily: “One of the things he told me was to improve my signature”He said with laughter.
The years in this academy gave him the possibility of saying present for the first time in the Junior of the last Grand Slam of the season, and although the result has not been expected, the sensations of improvement and learning are always present: “It was difficult for me to play in front of so many peoplemany came to see me. I also felt pressure on the qualyI felt that I had to win. My sister came to see me for the first time. There were also my mother, my aunt, my uncle. I gave the best, I am happy, ”he said after falling 6-3 and 6-4.
On the other hand, Ahmad described his tennis and became familiar with several of those present in the circuit: “I would say that Tennis looks like Djokovic, but worse, obviously. I also look a little to Alcaraz, I like to throw drop shots. I’m not at that level yet but I hope one day. I also have a lot of energy and fire “.
However, not everything in his life was tennis, since his parents were soccer players and he had a step through that sport: “I don’t play football seriously since I left when I was 7 years old. Actually, I was better in football than in tennis, but for me it was a bit boring. I didn’t like playing with a team. I like tennis more because it is more about myself. And it was much more difficult, what was fun for me. I’m still seeing enough football. I see the World Cup. My coach is a big fan of Barcelona, and me too. I just follow what he follows”and sentenced in his talk with ESPN about a utopian future “Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I stayed with football, but you will never know”.
Continuing with its history with football, Zizou played in a team called Boca Juniorslike the popular club in Argentina. “They are two very similar clubs,” he told ESPN.
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