Roger Federer made the trip to Wimbledon, not as a competitor but to give a speech as a part of the Centre Court 100-year celebration. He was accompanied by other tennis greats at the ceremony, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
This is the first time since 1998 that the eight-time Wimbledon champion did not participate in the Wimbledon singles draw. Federer is dealing with a knee injury he suffered at Wimbledon in 2021, and has undergone three surgeries so far. Since 2020, he has only played in six tournaments and a total of 19 matches.
After receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, Federer was emotional during the ceremony as he reflected back on his career at Wimbledon.
"I've been lucky enough to play a lot of matches on this court. It feels awkward to be here today in a different type of role," Federer said. "It's great to be here with all the other champions. This court has given me my biggest wins and my biggest losses."
When asked whether or not he'll be playing at Wimbledon again, Federer responded, "I hope I can come back one more time."
The crowd cheered as Federer announced his aspirations to step back on Centre Court once more before retiring from the game he loves. His goal is to make his return in London at the Laver Cup this coming September.
