Tennis star Roger Federer made his first-round Wimbledon match on July 2 an occasion to cherish for an Indian-origin girl when he handed her his headband. Mihika Joshi, a 13-year-old budding tennis player herself, was carrying a sign, that said, “Roger can I have your headband pleeease!!,” during Federer’s match with Serbian player Dusan Lajovic.
After the Swiss player won the tie 6-1, 6-3, 6-4, Joshi walked up to where Federer was signing autographs on his way out of the arena, and held up the yellow card. He spotted her poster, dug into his bag for a few seconds, and scooped out the headband that he had worn during the match. The crowd cheered at his gesture.
“It was a dream come true. I was thrilled to receive the headband,” Joshi was quoted as saying by Metro.co.uk. “I did not know if I would get it as it depended on if we got seats close enough to where Federer signs autographs.”
The tennis star’s gesture was later posted on the tournament’s Twitter handle. The video has since gone viral.
Ask and you shall receive… 🤗#Wimbledon @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/QaEVpNqenB
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2018
The World No. 2 player, when asked about the young fan’s request during the post-match television interview, said he would be happy to oblige his fans right now. “Yes, they want a watch, a car, a racket, a shirt, they can have it all at this point,” he said.
The teenager’s father, Abhijeet Joshi, from Hampstead, north London, later tweeted his thanks to the tennis player. “She will never forget this moment for the rest of her life,” he said on the social media.
That was my daughter who received the headband. She is a MASSIVE fed fan and is absolutely thrilled. Thank you @rogerfederer. She will never forget this moment for the rest of her life. #goat #federer https://t.co/N1Az6oZAS5
— Abhijeet Joshi (@abhijeet_joshi) July 2, 2018
Joshi, who has watched around 10 Federer matches in the stadium since 2013, already has Federer’s autograph from the first time she watched him play at Wimbledon when she was eight. She made the poster, a bright yellow card with black text, when the family queued up in the tent ahead of the match.
Federer, 36, who finished the match in an hour and 19 minutes, is aiming to win his ninth Wimbledon title.