“Criticizing Federer was like turning on Kim Jong Un in North Korea,” shares comedian Wilsher.

In the program “Les beaux parleurs” on RTS, French comedian Thomas Wiesel takes on Roger Federer. He is annoyed by the abundance of advertisements and even compares him to a dictator. Of course with a wink.

“In Switzerland, it was not possible for a long time to criticize Roger Federer. It was as if the people in North Korea were turning against Kim Jong Un.” A harsh statement made by Thomas Wiesel on the program “Les beaux parleurs” on RTS at the weekend. The French comedian couldn't resist discussing the lack of appreciation for Stan Wawrinka. “For twenty years, Stan had to take all the hits because no one dared to touch Federer. But now things are different.”

So different that Wiesel is now also dealing against Federer. The comedian sarcastically compares his current activity to that of an influencer: “The guy who lives in the Emirates and spends his time on sponsored content has a name: he’s an influencer. I know that given his income, one talks more about the 'Ambassador,' but I cannot accept seeing the young stars of my time in such a role,” Wiesel continues his comic rebuke.

Wiesel becomes particularly sarcastic when discussing the current perception of sports legends: “I don't want to live in a world where you have to explain to kids that the guy in the ad used to play tennis — and he's very good at it.”

The comedian, of course, makes it clear that he is still a big fan of Federer. And perhaps precisely for this reason, he also deplores the current transformation from inspirational athlete to advertising face. “As a consolation, I will now look at some of his best points,” Wiesel said. “But damn, even there I came across ads for his bags. Takes me back to 2007!”