"Most humble athlete of all time" - Mardy Fish lauds Roger Federer's character as he revisits Swiss' Wimbledon anecdote of being denied entry

Mardy Fish recently complimented Roger Federer as being the most humble athlete of all time. This came as a video resurfaced online featuring Roger Federer as a guest on “The Daily Show” in December 2022.

In the video, the 20-time Grand Slam champion narrated an incident when he was denied entry into Wimbledon. He explained that he had come to London to see his doctor for a knee check-up and finished two hours earlier than expected. To kill time, he decided to visit Wimbledon. It was his first time going there when the tournament wasn't ongoing, and he typically used a different entrance. Despite his reasons, he was still denied entry by the guard because he didn't have his membership card.

“So I'm like no, I don't have a membership card but I am a member, I'm just wondering where I can get in, and she's (security guard) like 'yeah, you have to be a member', so I'm like 'okay this is gonna be difficult here'."

"So I tell her ‘normally when I'm here. I'm playing, and there are loads of people so I come in in a different way and now it's the first time I'm here while the tournament is on. So I'm just asking you again where can I get in'? She's like,'well, other side but you have to be a member',” Federer said (at 1:51)

The Swiss hilariously admitted that he panicked and told the guard that he had won the tournament eight times, pleading to be let in, but his entry was still denied.

“So I look at her one last time and I'm in a panic and I looked at her and said ‘I have won this tournament eight times, please believe me, I am a member',” he added.

He then explained that he had to use the other entrance, where he came across a fan who wanted a selfie with him. The security guards who saw him at the gate then let him in.

On Wednesday, Mardy Fish quoted a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) that featured the video, and wrote that the 42-year-old is the most humble athlete of all time.

“Most humble athlete of all time,” Fish tweeted.

---

Roger Federer and Mardy Fish faced off nine times on the ATP tour

Western & Southern Open - Day 7 - Source: Getty

Mardy Fish and Roger Federer faced off nine times during their careers. Mardy Fish retired in 2015, while Roger Federer retired in 2022, with both enjoying great careers.

Federer and Fish’s first clash was in the third round of the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, where Federer defeated Fish 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. He went on to defeat Mark Philippoussis in the final to lift the title and win his first major. The Swiss then won their next four matches before Fish earned his first and only victory over the Swiss with a 6-3, 6-2 win in the semifinal of the 2008 Indian Wells Open. When Fish retired in 2015, their head-to-head record was 8-1 in favor of the former World No.1.

Compared to Roger Federer’s staggering records and achievements that have set him apart as one of the greatest tennis athletes of all time, Mardy Fish also left his mark on the sport. He won six titles in singles and eight titles in doubles on the ATP tour and took home the silver medal while representing the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics.