Many players remember the first they met Roger Federer on the tour, but for Paralympian Dylan Alcott his experience was like no other.
Alcott, who has won six grand slam titles in wheelchair tennis, first saw the world No.2 face-to-face at the 2015 Australian Open. Although it wasn’t an arranged meeting between the two. Alcott entered the men’s changing room and standing there was Federer. Who was completely naked.
“I put my tennis bag in, I get my racquet out and standing there completely naked, basically with his penis on my shoulder, is Roger Federer,” The Herald Sun quoted Alcott as saying.
“I thought ‘that’s an interesting way to meet someone that you idolise’,
“I was just trying to look at all the right spots and keep my eyes up!”
Coincidentally, it was at that same tournament where Alcott won his first grand slam title. The 27-year-old Australian was previously a basketball player before embarking upon tennis. As part of the Australian Wheelchair basketball team, he won gold at the 2008 Paralympic games and 2010 world championships.
At this year’s Wimbledon Championships Alcott made his debut in what was ‘a dream come true‘ for him. He was one of the first players in history to play a quad wheelchair tennis match at The All England Club. Quad tennis is played at both the Australian Open and US Open, but a tournament is yet to be held at Wimbledon.
“Pulling on the all-whites for the first time is the definition of a dream come true.” Alcott wrote in an article for The Players Voice.
“I love the Australian Open, but people ask me why Wimbledon has got that thing that everyone loves. It’s an intangible prestige. There’s just that feeling about it, and to come here and play is so cool.”
“To be able to play an exhibition is amazing, and I can’t thank them (The All England Club) enough. Hopefully next year it’s the full tournament and then we can leave our legacy for the next generation.”
Whilst at the grass-court grand slam, he also got to meet the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.’
“I think a lot of people might be scared to talk to them.” Alcott recounted about his meeting with the duchesses.
“We talked to them for about three minutes, about Australia, about tennis, about how I looked in the whites. They thought I looked great. Sexy! I had a great time.”
Under the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Rankings, Alcott is the world No.2 in the quads category.
