Federer wants to play at Wimbledon a final time
Eight-time winner hopes to recover from knee problem Huge ovation for 40-year-old at parade of past champions
Roger Federer is targeting one last Wimbledon appearance as a player after his return to Centre Court for a special centenary ceremony prompted a standing ovation.
As the only man to have won Wimbledon eight times, Federer was the last player to be introduced during the parade of champions and received the most rapturous ovation, even among some of the greatest players in tennis history.
“I hope I can come back – one more time,” said Federer, who reached the final as recently as 2019, but will turn 41 next month.
The Swiss has been suffering with a knee injury during the past year and admitted that he was in two minds about whether to travel to London for the ceremony.
“I didn’t know if I should make the trip, but I’m happy standing here right now,” he said. “It feels awkward to be here today in a different type of role.
“Of course, I have missed being here – I would have loved to be here [playing]. This court has given me my biggest wins, my biggest losses. I maybe didn’t think it would take me
this long to come back. The knee has been rough on me – but I’ve been happy at home.” Federer pinpointed his 2001 breakthrough victory against Pete Sampras and then his first Wimbledon title in 2003, when he beat Mark Philippoussis in straight sets in the final, as two particular highlights. Other former champions who were introduced included Margaret Court, the all-time grand slam record holder with 24 titles, whose views on samesex marriage and homosexuality have prompted calls for the arena
named after her at the Australian Open in Melbourne to be rebranded.
Court received a respectful welcome on to Centre Court yesterday where, after Federer, there were particularly loud cheers for Rafael Nadal, Chris Evert, Novak Djokovic, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Venus Williams, Billie Jean King and Andy Murray.
Among the absent former champions was the Russian Maria Sharapova, who is heavily pregnant.
Wimbledon’s ban has related to current Russian and Belarusian players, rather than people who might be at the tournament in other roles, and it is unclear whether an invitation was extended to Sharapova.
Martina Navratilova, the ninetime women’s champion, has been at Wimbledon, but missed the ceremony after catching Covid.
Other notable absentees included seven-time champions Steffi Graf and Sampras.