Photo © French Open via YouTube.
Following Roger Federer’s Sunday straight set win against Alejandro Falla, a fan ran on the court and attempted to take a selfie with the superstar. Federer was clearly unhappy with the situation and even motioned towards security to do their job.
In the post-match press conference, Federer clarified his anger towards Roland Garros’ security.
“I am not happy about it… It happened yesterday in the practice too,” Federer stated. “It’s just a kid, but then three more kids came. And today on center court, where you would think this is a place where nobody can come on, [the fan] just wanders on and nothing happens.”
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“So I definitely think this is something that needs to happen quickly… That’s where you do your job. That’s where you want to feel safe. So clearly I am not happy about it, but nothing happened. So I’m relieved, but clearly not a nice situation.”
Now, plenty of people have been bashing Federer about his comments, but the 17-time Grand Slam winner has a point. Kid or adult, fans should not be allowed to rush the court. Have people forgotten about the 1993 Monica Seles on court stabbing – an incident that forever derailed the athlete’s career, as she would only go on to win one more Grand Slam after the attack.
Now, tournament director Gilbert Ysern acknowledged the mistake and stated that there is foundation for Federer’s anger, according to Yahoo Sports. “But it’s not the end of the world,” said Ysern. “It’s embarrassing. It shows that we made a mistake and we have to correct it to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Obviously, this was just a kid doing something idiotic, however, stadium security is vital for tennis stars to feel safe and play at the top of their game.
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