Andrea Bocelli moves Roger Federer to tears during Zurich performance

Roger Federer is a saint. I think we can all agree to that, right? Not only did he play tennis with grace and immense skill, but off the court, he has done quite a bit of charity work, including running his Roger Federer Foundation that helps children in his native Switzerland and in southern Africa get educations.

Part of what makes people love Roger Federer is that while he played a sport at a level none of us will ever reach (unless Novak Djokovic happens to be reading this and if so, thank you!), Federer also always just seemed so, well…human. He was a better player than us, but he has never acted as if he is a better person than we are.

That is why when we see Federer show genuine emotion, such as at the Laver Cup in 2022, it feels somehow communal. We want to share in the emotion because though we do not know him, he likely would treat us as if we did if we ever met him. He is a good guy who we want good things to happen to.

Roger Federer gets honored by Andrea Bocelli

That happened this past Monday in Zurich when Roger Federer was watching a performance of the excellent Andrea Bocelli at the Hallenstadion. Near the end of the show, the singer invited Federer to join him on stage while Bocelli performed “Nessun Dorma.” Bocelli also dedicated part of the show to Federer and said, “Among us tonight is a living legend, Roger Federer. For me, it’s an honor to dedicate the last aria to him, for the emotions he gave everyone.”

https://twitter.com/TheTennisLetter/status/1727077454479777898

How amazing is that? One fan on X tweeted succinctly, “Legend recognize legend.” Simple but well said and correct.

As Bocelli sang his closing number, Roger Federer stood beside him and wiped away several tears. And Bocelli, of course, is blind, so he could never have seen Federer play. Instead, Bocelli knows Roger Federer from what really matters: Federer’s humanity.