Roger Federer knows that pics come as part of the package when you're a 17-time major winner, but a young spectator sent him over the edge Sunday. After Federer bagged a first-round victory at the French Open, this teen thought it was a good idea to climb down the stands and run, phone in hand, to Federer for a photo op:
Nope. "I'm not happy about it," Federer said afterward. "It happened [Saturday] in the practice, too. Just a kid, but then three more kids came, and then today on center court, where you would think this is a place where nobody can come on, [he] just wanders on."
The same thing happened to Federer in 2009, too. Although all instances have been harmless, Federer has underlined that people unaffiliated with tournaments shouldn't be allowed to waltz onto the court—no matter their intent. It's not that he hates people (maybe he does, I don't know), it's that he hates a lack of security in the workplace. "I definitely think this is [a change] that something needs to happen," he added. "Normally I only speak on behalf of myself, but in this situation I think I can speak on behalf of all the players, that that's where you do your job, that's where you want to feel safe."
ESPN pointed out that Sunday's situation was logistically reminiscent of an incident in 1993, in which a crazy Steffi Graf fan ran onto the court, unimpeded, and stabbed Monica Seles in the back. "There was clearly a before and an after Monica Seles," French Tennis Federation director Gilbert Ysern said, according to The New York Times. "After that, all security in tennis stadiums and tennis courts was totally reviewed."
Ysern apologized to Federer and told reporters that these most recent breaches occurred because of "a lack of judgment" on the part of the security guards. Ysern added that his security will now be told repeatedly that spectators cannot have access to the courts under any circumstance, according to ESPN. "Contrary to what happened this afternoon, we will enforce that rule more severely from today on and make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.
If you're a huge Federer fan, I guess it's time to get really good at Photoshop, or, as Deadspin noticed, turn into an ice cream cone. Either way, there will be no more on-court fan selfies.
