Federer was sent to school away from his home town of Basel while still in secondary school.
The Swiss star could not have foreseen how his career would then pan out as he went on to clinch 20 Grand Slam titles.
But to get to this point, the 37-year-old claims he learned a lot by travelling solo before joining the ATP tour shortly after.
“When I look back there were important moments in my life: the birth of my children, my marriage, winning Wimbledon for the first time,” Federer said in Tokyo ahead of the Shanghai Masters.
“There are markers in life. But if I look further into the past, I grew up as a person between 14 and 16 as a person.
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“I left home, I lived in Basel at the time. It was in a city in German-speaking Switzerland. I went to Lausanne, in French-speaking Switzerland, two hours by train.
“I will not say it was like going to another country, but I did not speak French at all.
“I could have just left to live in Japan, it was the same thing. When I arrived I did not speak to anyone, I could not communicate.
“I cried often because I missed my house. I learned to become strong, persevering and independent.”
Although it was difficult at first, Federer says he would advise any young person to follow a similar path if they were afforded the opportunity.
“All this in a very short period of time. I think for any young person, it’s good to travel. There is so much to learn,” he added.
“Of course, I studied, went to school and learned a lot. But my life experience is traveling.
“You know, miss the plane and jump in the first train with a backpack, sleep while sitting on the bag because you are afraid of losing it. My traveling experience really started at 14 years old.
“I really think that for people it’s really good to go out and see the world. At least, you have to try.
“It’s hard, but life is not supposed to be easy. That’s it, my advice for young people, those of Japan too.
“See the world, there are so many beautiful things to discover.”