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Roger Federer obtained a 90-second standing ovation from spectators and Catherine, the Princess of Wales as he entered the royal field at Wimbledon.
Sporting a cream-coloured go well with together with his purple All England Membership member’s pin, the retired Federer stood between his spouse, Mirka, and the princess within the particular part above one of many baselines within the grand slam match’s major stadium on Tuesday (British time).
Federer waved and tapped his chest, repeatedly saying, “thanks,” because the applause and roars cascaded below the closed retractable roof on a wet day two on the grasscourt occasion the place he gained eight of his 20 grand slam titles.
Earlier than the beginning of play at Centre Court docket, an announcer mentioned Federer was being honoured for “his contributions to tennis – and, notably, to those very particular lawns.”
Federer, who turns 42 on August 8, introduced his retirement on the finish of final yr following a sequence of knee operations.
The final match of his profession was a quarter-final loss to Hubert Hurkacz on the All England Membership in 2021.
The ceremony on Tuesday included a video spotlight reel that confirmed clips of Federer enjoying, successful and talking at Wimbledon, the place he gained the primary of his 20 profession grand slam titles in 2003.
That was the beginning of a run of 5 in a row that stretched by 2007, adopted by further championships there in 2009, 2012 and 2017.
Novak Djokovic, who gained his first-round match on Monday, is attempting to equal Federer this yr by successful a fifth consecutive trophy and eighth general at Wimbledon.
Martina Navratilova, who gained the ladies’s singles title 9 instances, holds the general file on the match.
“Once I cease, the match nonetheless lives on. The match is greater than any participant who’s ever lived,” a youthful Federer mentioned in an interview proven through the movie on Tuesday.
“I actually stay up for the day the place I retire and I can come again and simply have tea time, you understand, on the terrace.”
The video included varied gamers talking glowingly of Federer.
“Roger is legend. He makes each shot look straightforward,” 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur mentioned.
Australian Alex de Minaur spoke of Federer’s “masterful class on a tennis court docket”.
Taylor Fritz known as him an “inspiration”, Coco Gauff used the phrase “icon”, and present ladies’s No.1 Iga Swiatek labelled Federer a “actually particular participant”.