Roger Federer posted on social media that he had remembered to bring his membership card to
Wimbledon after being turned away in the past.
Former world No. 1 Federer jokingly posted on Twitter about remembering to bring his membership card to the SW19 this time, after previously being turned away for forgetting it.
The Swiss tennis legend attended Centre Court yesterday for a special ceremony and was a distinguished guest in the Royal Box. Despite announcing his retirement from the sport last year, the eight-time Wimbledon champion received a standing ovation from the crowd, honouring his tremendous legacy at the tournament and in the world of tennis overall.
Federer turned away
However, in order to gain entry to Wimbledon at all, Federer had to make sure he brought his membership card. Indeed, in an appearance on the The Daily Show six months ago, the 41-year-old chatted to TV host Trevor Noah about how two weeks prior, he had been unable to enter the grasscourt major's grounds.
Federer explained that he had flown to London from Tokyo to see a doctor about an issue with his knee. Following the appointment, he had two hours to kill, so decided to drop in and have tea at Wimbledon. Unfortunately, things did not go to plan, as he didn't realise he would need his membership card. This is something that all victors of the SW19 receive but which he seemed only vaguely aware of owning.
When he approached the security guard, he asked how he could enter the grounds, but was told he would need his membership card. He then responded by saying,
"No, I don't have my membership card but I am a member and I'm just wondering where I can get in."
This was not enough to sway the guard, prompting Federer to do something he would never normally do by bringing up the fact that he had won the tournament eight times so he had to be a member, perhaps hoping that the guard's recognition of him would persuade her to let him through.
However, the guard was unrelenting, sticking to the rules and doing her job properly. In the end, the 20-time singles Grand Slam champion went round the other side and was let in for a cup of tea after being recognised by fans and security there.
Made sure to remember his card this time
In light of the incident, Federer made sure to bring his membership card when visiting the tournament this time. He even celebrated remembering it on Twitter, posting a picture of him holding the card with the caption jokingly reading
"I remembered it this time."
For context, he mentioned Trevor Noah in the post, so that anyone left confused about the reference could figure out to what he was referring.