"I've won this tournament eight times, please believe me" - Roger Federer narrates hilarious story of being denied entry into Wimbledon
Roger Federer, arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, recently shared a humorous incident from one of his Wimbledon appearances.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was a guest on Trevor Noah's program The Daily Show when the host asked him if it was true that he was barred from entering Wimbledon last month. Federer, much to the amusement of everyone around, nodded awkwardly.
The legendary Swiss star stated that he had arrived in London to see a doctor after an event in Tokyo, Japan. When he realized that he had a couple of hours before his flight back home, he decided to visit the All England Lawn Tennis Club (ALTEC).
But even after numerous attempts from the 41-year-old, a security guard denied him entry without a membership card. Federer said:
"When you win Wimbledon, you become a member automatically. So I'm like, 'No, I don't have my membership card but I am a member and I'm just wondering where I can get in,' and she said, 'Yeah, but you have to be a member.' I was like, 'I'm just asking you again where can I get in,' and she said, 'The other side, but you have to be a member.'"
"So I look at her one last time and I'm so sorry, I couldn't believe and still can't believe I said this and because I still feel bad about it," he added. "I'd look at her and say, 'I have won this tournament eight times. Please believe me, I am a member!'"
The former World No. 1, who was accompanied by his coach Severin Luthi, then drove up to another gate where the security guards welcomed him and organized a meeting with the chairman.
"When I said I won Wimbledon eight times, for a split second, I wasn't sure if it was eight anymore because I thought 'Was it seven, was it eight? I don't know'. But I said it because I never talk like this," Federer added.
"To break the record, I needed you" - Roger Federer to Trevor Noah on South Africa's charity exhibition event
In February 2020, Roger Federer organized an exhibition event in Cape Town, called Match in Africa, where he was joined by Rafael Nadal. The event set the record for the highest number of people to attend a tennis match, with 51,954 spectators. Trevor Noah and Bill Gates were also part of the night as they paired up with Nadal and Federer, respectively.
On the episode of his talk show, Noah revealed a few similarities between himself and Federer. They are both half-Swiss and half-South African, they speak multiple languages, and they were both a part of the tennis event that holds the record for attendance.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner icon joked that he needed Noah to break the record.
Noah: "We both play tennis. Yeah, I think it's the world record for the highest attendance for a tennis match."
Federer: "I played for 20-plus years, right? But to break the record, I needed you."
Noah: "You needed help. I don't think it would have happened without me. We have 20 Grand Slam titles between us. It's crazy."
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