Roger Federer has always played his best tennis on the grass of the All England Club. The Swiss champion has won Wimbledon eight times: no one has done it better than him. Given these incredible statistics, the anecdote told by the Swiss in The Daily Show is as surreal as it is funny.
About fifteen days ago, Federer decided to visit the facilities that saw him write the history of tennis to have tea with Severin Luthi. The Swiss tried to surprise the organizers of the London Slam by appearing unexpectedly at the All England Club, but things did not go as planned.
After arriving at the most famous tennis club in the world, Federer was blocked at the entrance by one of the security men, who did not recognize him. The assistant asked the Basel legend to show him his membership card – players become honorary members of the club if they win Wimbledon – but Federer did not have it with him.
“I asked what the entrance was, but they told me that the entrance was for members only. I told him that when I played tennis, I used to enter through a different entrance and that it was the first time I had visited Wimbledon while the tournament was not taking place.
I’m so sorry, I still can’t believe I said that, I still feel bad about it. I told him: ‘I have won this tournament eight times, I am an honorary member'”, explained the Swiss, who was however rejected.
Only the intervention of a fan saved Federer. “We were walking towards another entrance when a fan recognized me and asked: ‘Mr. Federer, can we take a picture?'”
King Roger on his longevity
Roger Federer appeared in great shape on the set of the Daily Show, in the United States.
After telling tasty anecdotes about his time at Wimbledon last November, his rivalry with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as well as his appeal to the Spaniard before the Laver Cup, the Swiss tried to explain his longevity.
“When I was growing up I had Michael Schumacher who I looked up to, who was at the top for so long. Tiger Woods is the same thing. And I always thought it was impossible to do that, to stay on top for so long and have that drive.
Now people ask me, ‘how did you do it?’ I tell them it’s normal. You just go out on the court, start over, and try to win again. And it’s fun, so you keep doing it. Everybody would like to be in your place, wouldn’t they? And then you also have a duty, in my mind, to represent the sport well and enjoy it as much as you can. I really feel like I squeezed that lemon to the last drop. I did my best until the end.”
