Watch: Roger Federer says his English is not good enough after not understanding an idiom

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer's tough time in the first round of Wimbledon continued even after the match as the 39-year old failed to understand an English 'idiom'. The interviewer asked him a question starting with a popular idiom ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’, asking him if he felt like that after returning to the centre court. Federer apologised for not understanding it the first time and said that he understood the word absence but was blank after that.

“Sorry, I didn’t understand it. I heard something’ absence’ and, I don’t know, my mind went blank," he said and the interviewer repeated the idiom again and he failed to understand it again saying that his English is not good enough. 

"I don’t understand that saying. My English is not good enough,” he said, which was followed by a huge cheer from the crowd. after which, the interviewer asked the same question in simplified words and Federer replied saying, "Good reminder, my English is not very good. I think we’re all very happy, all the players, including all the fans and the organizers and everybody that we get a chance to be back on tour, especially here at Wimbledon. It would’ve been worst to have this tournament with no fans. This would have been an absolute killer, so it’s such a privilege to play here.”

"My English is not good enough!"

Even at 39, you never stop learning - right, @rogerfederer?#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/5BALP53NDA

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2021

Federer had a tough outing in his first game against the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino as the duo played four hard-fought sets with both of them winning two each, however, the 20-grand slam singles winner was given a walkover after his opponent retired in the final set.

Commending his opponent and sympathising with him, Federer said, "Yeah, it’s awful. It shows that one shot can change the outcome of a match, a season, a career. I wish him all the best, and he recovers quickly, so we see him back on the courts.”