Roger Federer may enjoy immense popularity on tour, but he says he also tries to return the favor.
Following his opening win in Montreal, Federer signed three balls at the request of his opponent, Peter Polansky, who said his friends had requested them.
"I try to lead by example, too, have respect for everybody,” he said. “Not just the players, but whoever buys a ticket: linespersons, umpires, ball boys, the girls and the kids, everybody—everybody who makes the tournament possible for all of us. There's a lot that goes into it. There's so much behind the scenes that's going on.
“Ultimately, having that respect between one another of the players, it's amazing."