The tennis club where Federer began playing at age eight was TC Old Boys, also known as the Old Boys Tennis Club, in Basel, Switzerland. “TC” is short for “Tennis Club.”
Federer first encountered tennis through his family and the private courts connected with his parents’ employer, Ciba-Geigy. He began playing casually at about age three and quickly became the best player in his school age group after enrolling at age six. By age eight, his mother moved him into the stronger junior program at TC Old Boys.
At the club, Federer received early instruction from Czech coach Adolf Kacovsky. Kacovsky helped shape Federer’s technique and recognized his unusual ability to learn new skills quickly. Federer later worked closely with Australian coach Peter Carter, who influenced his all-court technique and competitive approach.
The club’s name is sometimes rendered as “Old Boys Tennis Club” in biographies and “TC Old Boys” in shorter references. These names refer to the same Basel club, not to the Swiss Tennis Academy or Basel Tennis Club.