They say never meet your idols. Aussie wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott has revealed he learned that the hard way in an embarrassing change room encounter with the great Roger Federer.

The recently retired Alcott is commentating at the Australian Open this year after achieving everything there was to achieve in the sport. 

In 2021, Alcott became the first man to complete the Golden Slam in quad singles, with victory in four four majors and the Paralympics. Between 2018 and 2019, he also won a non-calendar-year Grand Slam in quad singles.

Federer is regarded as one of the all-time tennis greats with 103 ATP singles titles including 20 major singles titles during a long career of dominance along with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Alcott recalled the time he met his tennis idol in the changerooms of the Australian Open in 2014, although the experience didn't play out the way he had envisaged.  

'We play at the same time as the able-bodied players, and I remember all I wanted to do was meet Roger Federer because I love him. He's just the king,'  he told Channel 9.

'I am very lucky that the first time I got to meet him was in the locker room, I had the locker next to him, and he may have been sans clothes, as you do in the locker room.

'He said, "Hi, I'm Roger", and I said, "Hi, I'm Dylan", and I was just thinking eye contact, eye contact, eye contact, because when you're in a wheelchair, where are you? Do you know what I mean? Where's your level?'

Alcott had also previously talked about the awkward but hilarious meeting with his idol with Australian talk show king Andrew Denton in 2018. 

'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,' Alcott said.

'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!'