Roger Federer’s career saw him win 20 Grand Slam titles, but his very first was rewarded with a strange gift from his country of Switzerland.
Federer’s legacy lives on in tennis, and the Swiss superstar is widely considered one of the greatest players to ever play the sport.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner holds plenty of records in the sport, although Novak Djokovic is trying his best to oust Federer from plenty.
In 2003, Federer was awarded an eccentric gift after he picked up his first Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon.
Roger Federer was given a cow after winning Wimbledon in 2003
Federer defeated Mark Philippoussis in straight sets to kickstart his Grand Slam winning journey at Wimbledon in 2003.
He became the first Swiss tennis player to win a Grand Slam at the time, and has only been joined by Stanislas Wawrinka in the intervening years.
Federer’s home country were delighted with his Wimbledon win and marked the occasion in a strange way.
When Federer returned home to play the 2003 Swiss Open in Gstaad, Switzerland, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was gifted a cow as a congratulations for winning Wimbledon.
The Swiss star was given a brown and white Simmental named Juliette, and it was followed up a decade later.
In 2013, Federer was presented with a second cow named Desirée when he had earned 17 Grand Slam trophies.
Roger Federer’s hilarious reaction to being gifted a cow
Federer was equal parts happy and bemused with his present in Gstaad, Switzerland, and his interview afterward was iconic.
“I was afraid that she might bite me, but I think she liked it when I stroked her,” said the star after being given Juliette at the Swiss Open.
“I hear they also like to lick salt out of your hand,” added Federer. “Now I need to find a garage for a cow, although I have no idea what a cow garage looks like.”
It’s unclear whether Federer still owns both of the cows, but that’s exactly what you’d expect from the classiest man in the sport.