French tennis legend Fabrice Santoro expresses desire to coach Roger Federer

French legend Fabrice Santoro has expressed his desire to coach Roger Federer in case he is given an opportunity to train any of the top players of the current era. Santoro, who has two men's doubles Grand Slam titles, said it would be an honour to receive a coaching request, and if that comes the Swiss maestro would be his first choice.

"It would be an honour to get that request from one of the top players, but I'd pick Roger Federer. I have so much respect for his career and the way he plays. We played 11 times and it was always such a pleasure to be on the court with him," Santoro told the ATP Champions Tour's official site.

Santoro retired from the professional ATP Tour in 2010 after playing for over two decades. He has 30 career titles – six in singles and 24 in doubles — and is currently part of the ATP Champions Tour. He is taking part in the season-ending finale of the tour, which takes place in London at the Royal Albert Hall. He says it is always special to play in the British capital, which according to him is the home of tennis.

"The place is just amazing. You can't compare the Royal Albert Hall to any other tennis court in the world. I feel like it's an honor and a privilege for me to play there every time. And the crowd is really happy to be there. They love tennis, but they're also there to have a drink and just enjoy it.

"First of all, you have Wimbledon, the biggest tournament in the world. Even if I'm very proud of Roland Garros, this is where the story of tennis is," Santoro said.

The Frenchman also spoke about the coach he would have liked to have had in his box during his playing career. John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg were his preferred choices, both of whom are part of the Champions Tour, with the latter leading the points table.

"Probably Bjorn Borg or John McEnroe. I had both of their posters when I was a kid, so to have either of them in my box would have been fantastic."