Tennis prodigy made promise to Roger Federer and now has John McEnroe’s seal of approval | Tennis | Sport

A budding tennis star who went viral with a ‘pinky promise’ to Roger Federer is now working with John McEnroe as he looks to break into the professional ranks. Izyan Ahmad, nicknamed Zizou, touched the hearts of fans around the world when he got the chance to ask Federer a question when he was just seven years old.

He asked: “You’ve been the most consistent player of all time. Can you please continue to play for eight or nine more years so that I can play you when I turn pro?” Federer, who had just turned 36 at the time, replied: “I’ll make sure that maybe I come back for you.” Ahmad followed up: “Is that a promise?” before Federer responded: “Almost one. Pinky promise.”

Ahmad, now 15, is preparing to follow in his idol’s footsteps and become a professional tennis player. He is currently unranked on the senior men’s tour but is among the top 150 in the junior rankings.

He is set to take the next step in his young career at the Indian Wells Masters, where he will play in qualifying against third seed Thiago Agustin Tirante.

“I’m super grateful and I’ll do my best to make the most of it,” he told the ATP website. “It’s amazing to be this young and have the chance to experience this, see all the pros, and compete alongside them.”

Looking back at his viral press conference moment with Federer, Ahmad explained the thinking behind his question and revealed his mother’s involvement.

“He’s been my favourite since I was little, so I thought hard about what to ask,” he said. “I didn’t want something boring or something he had answered a thousand times. I wanted it to be different.

“So I came up with this joke. It wasn’t that funny but for a seven-year-old, it worked. After he said he’d think about playing longer, my mom, who was next to me, whispered: ‘Ask him if it’s a pinky promise’. That’s the part that got clipped.”

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Five years later, Ahmad was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with Federer in his home nation of Switzerland.

“That was unbelievable. This opportunity now feels incredible too. I’ve worked harder for this one. There’s still some luck involved, maybe 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent my effort, but I’ve put in the work to at least be considered.”

Ahmad, who hails from New Jersey, is a protege of McEnroe, having trained at the American legend’s academy since the age of six.

“He [McEnroe] is there every day,” he revealed. “If he sees me, he’ll stop and talk. We hit together often. He’s very invested, and I’m extremely grateful for that.

“He doesn’t have to take time out of his day to give advice or practice with me, but he does. He watches me train, comes into the gym.

“He’s just a great human being. Very relaxed off the court, very competitive on it. I respect him a lot. If it weren’t for his academy, I wouldn’t be here.”

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