Neeraj Chopra spills the beans on meeting Roger Federer, makes Rafael Nadal reference: ‘Indian food is in his top-5’

Currently among the most-followed athletes, Neeraj Chopra has a God-like status in India.

The javelin ace has been the nation’s hero since his heroics at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Then he followed it up with a silver at the Paris Olympics 2024. He is also the first Asian to win a gold in javelin at the World Championships, and also has reigned supreme at the Diamond League once.

The 27-year-old has won gold in every major tournament and also has a podium finish streak in 24 consecutive competitions, going back to 2020.

In a candid interview with Lallantop, the Haryana native opened up about the struggles of maintaining his long hair, using tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as a reference.

“I didn’t take care of my hair and now it is disappearing. They are going slowly. It is hard to take care of it. The biggest problem is that, see any athlete, in tennis they usually keep long hair, like Rafael Nadal or Federer. Whoever kept it, had difficulties, because of so much sweat and then I know girls shampoo and oil a lot, I don’t know how they get so much of time. I can’t do that. After training I dry my sweaty hair with the towel and then take bath, sleep. Now my hair is weak,” he said.

Neeraj Chopra on meeting Roger Federer
Chopra also spilled the beans on his famous meeting with Roger Federer which broke the headlines. “I met Federer in Zurich. He is the Swiss Tourism ambassador, and I have the same role, from India’s side. I got to meet him through that. Our conversation happened normally, it was about sports and off-camera too. He is very genuine and everyone knows the kind of athlete he is,” he said.

Revealing Federer’s special affection for India, he claimed, “He said Indian food is in his top-five always. He said that wherever he goes, he always tries to order Indian food.”

“He said he wants to come to India, and especially Rajasthan,” he added.

Chopra has always been a winner since his junior days in the sport. He was the first Indian to win at the World U-20 C’ships, where he also clinched a world U-20 record throw of 86.48m in 2016.