Roger Federer tells L'Equipe he has spoken to Tiger Woods by phone since details of the golfer's extra-marital affairs became public.
"He's my friend and I said to him my full support," Federer said in an interview with the French sporting newspaper. "It's difficult for him and his family to see their most intimate problems on display everywhere."
Woods has put his career on indefinite leave and has not made any public appearances since the scandal broke.
"Tiger needs calm. And soon he'll again return to being the fantastic golfer that we know,' said Federer.
The Swiss world No. 1 also reflected on the precarious nature of sporting fame. "The scope of this story, I would say it's instructive," he said. "I've always been conscious that the image you construct patiently over an entire career can be chucked away in a minute. It's a bit scary but it's like that."