Roger Federer received a standing ovation of 1½ minutes on Tuesday as he was celebrated for his career and his men's-record eight singles championships at Wimbledon.
The Swiss star, who turns 42 on Aug. 8, announced his retirement at the end of last year following a series of knee operations. The last match of his career was a quarterfinal loss to Hubert Hurkacz at the All England Club in 2021.
Federer entered the Royal Box at Centre Court before the start of play and was greeted by a rapturous applause from the crowd, which included Princess Kate. He was then shown a video highlight reel that showed clips of him playing, winning and speaking at Wimbledon, where he won the first of his 20 career Grand Slam titles in 2003.
After the video, Federer was presented with a plaque by All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt, who said: "Roger Federer, on behalf of the All England Club and the tennis world, we welcome you back to Centre Court.
"We celebrate your contributions to tennis -- and, particularly, to these very special lawns."
Federer thanked the crowd and said: "It's been a while since I was here. It feels great to be back. I've missed this place."
He added: "I've had some of the most amazing moments of my career right here. I've had some of my toughest losses. But overall, it's been an amazing journey for me here."
Federer said he was "still recovering" from his knee injuries, but he said he was "excited about the future" and that he hoped to be back on the court "sooner rather than later."
The crowd gave Federer another standing ovation as he left the court.
Federer's appearance at Wimbledon was a brief but memorable one. It was a reminder of his greatness, and it left the crowd wanting more.
Only time will tell if Federer will be able to return to the tour, but one thing is for sure: he will always be a beloved figure at Wimbledon.
