Share

Anderson meets his hero

London - Kevin Anderson has hardly batted an eyelid as he made tennis history for South Africa at Wimbledon, but the world number 18 admitted he couldn't stop sweating after a surprise encounter with comedian Ricky Gervais.

Anderson became the first South African man since Wayne Ferreira in 2000 to reach the Wimbledon fourth round after beating Italian 16th seed Fabio Fognini on Friday.

And just hours after that famous victory, the towering 28-year-old's memorable day got even better when he bumped into Gervais, the British comic who famously created hugely successful television comedies 'The Office' and 'Extras'.

Meeting his hero for the first time was overwhelming for Anderson and he said: "I just bumped into Ricky Gervais upstairs. Just literally went and introduced myself. It was great.

"I watch some of his stand-up shows and some of his gigs. I've been a huge fan.

"I was a little nervous. My hand started sweating.

"It's just funny, when you're not used to something it's amazing what you get nervous about."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE