Wimbledon without Roger Federer is quite similar to life without colors! He loves Wimbledon as much as the 147-year-old prestigious tennis tournament loves him. The journey started in 1998 when Federer became a junior champion, then winning his his first major singles title at the age of 21 in 2003. But even after moving on from the racquet sport as an athlete, the Swiss legend is still a spectator.

Federer visited the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 2023 to attend a special ceremony on the Center Court. Last year, only his wife Mirka was present to celebrate his achievements at the grass-court major event. Roger Federer was felicitated for whatever he has done on this court throughout his illustrious career. This time he may well have to visit his “favorite” venue yet again to fulfill his kids’ wish.

During a recent interview, the Swiss Maestro was asked whether he’ll visit the iconic venue this year. Replying to the same, Roger Federer said, “Yeah, making plans. Kids are pushing me there as again. I’m happy at home, but the kids said ‘No we want to come to Wimbledon this year. You were last year without us.‘“

He further assured fans that he would be there at Wimbledon Village, although he wasn’t sure if he was going to watch any matches this year. So, Federer told the reporters to “spot” him over there. But what makes this tournament so special to him? Speaking about this iconic tournament during an interview, Roger Federer said, “Wimbledon was always my favorite tournament, will always be my favorite tournament. My heroes walked the grounds here and walked the courts here. Because of them, I think I became a better player.“

Roger Federer has idolized Pete Sampras while growing up. Sampras won seven Wimbledon titles in his career while Roger Federer (8) managed to win one more than his idol before putting an end to his career. But did you know the 8-time Wimbledon champion was once denied entry into this historic venue?

“I‘ve won this tournament eight times!” – Roger Federer’s desperate plea to get an entry into the All England club

“No card, no entry” – Roger Federer once recalled a funny incident when he was denied access to this iconic venue by a Wimbledon security guard because he had forgotten to bring his membership pass. Recalling that incident the Swiss Maestro said, “When you win Wimbledon, you become a member automatically. And honestly, I don’t know about membership cards. They are probably at home somewhere and I’ve just been traveling, so I had no idea.” He tried his best to convince the security guard and find a way to get in. But the security personnel was quite unmoved by his pleas.

He was even spotted pleading, “I’m in a panic now, and I feel so bad about this but I look at her and say, ‘I’ve won this tournament eight times. Please believe me, I am a member. Where do I get in?’“ After trying multiple times, he and his coach then tried to get entry from another gate. Fortunately for them, a fan and a few other security guards recognized him and gave him an entry finally!