Roger Federer was a vegetarian until the age of 16; so what changed? When the tennis icon was told: ‘You can’t just eat green stuff!’

Roger Federer became emotional as he celebrated one of the biggest honors of his illustrious tennis career last August, delivering a heartfelt speech at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.Surrounded by family, loved ones and tennis greats, the Swiss legend reflected on a career that has brought him 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record eight Wimbledon crowns. Federer described his induction as one of the greatest honors of his life, adding that fame was never his ultimate goal.“My goal was to spend my life doing something I love … with people who love it as much as I do,” he said.Federer, who is retired from September 2022, was inducted into his first year of eligibility, capping a remarkable run that saw him spend 310 weeks as world number one.Aside from his success on the court, an interesting detail from the tennis icon’s younger days reveals that his eating habits once looked very different.Federer was a vegetarian until he was 16 when he was introduced to meat before a meal with his Swiss Davis Cup teammates.

How Marc Rosset convinced Federer to eat meat

In an interview with Coop Zeitung in 2017, Federer explained that he avoided meat for years because he was often unimpressed by the quality of food served at junior tournaments.“You don’t always have the best meat on your plate in junior tournaments, so I gave thanks until I was about 16,” he said.That changed in 1998, when he joined the Swiss Davis Cup team for the first time. Against the Czech Republic was Switzerland, and Federer, then a young player in a supporting role, went to a steakhouse with his teammates.

Roger Federer (Image via Getty)

While everyone else tucked into their food, Federer ordered rice and salad. His decision surprised his Swiss colleague Marc Rosset.“Hey Roger, here’s Steak, you can’t just eat green stuff!”Rosset responded by ordering ten small pieces of various types of meat for the teenager to try. Federer found he liked about half of them, and the experience ended his vegetarian phase.

How Federer developed a taste for fish

Meat was not the only food that Federer gradually learned to enjoy. He said the fish initially did not appeal to him because of their distinct taste.His wife Mirka helped to change that, and she made the sauces served with the fish more enjoyable.“Fish I learned more from Mirka (Roger’s wife). I didn’t like the pure fishy taste at first, but with the many great sauces, that quickly changed,” he added.

Marc Rosset with Roger Federer

Federer also admitted that cooking was not his forte, praising Mirca’s skills in the kitchen.“I’m really bad at cooking,” he recalled. “Mirka is a fantastic cook. And when I shared an apartment with Yves Allegro, Sven Swinnen and Michi Lammer, I was always an assistant.”As he got older and his training routine changed, he said he had to pay more attention to his diet and staying in shape.So for Federer, a simple steak meal became a turning point in his dietary preferences, with Rosset playing an unexpected role in changing the future tennis great’s eating habits.