Roger Federer and Wimbledon share a special relationship, given how prolific the 20-time Grand Slam champion was on the hallowed turf.
Naturally, he won plenty of other titles in plenty of other places, but seldom has a player dominated at one event as he did here.
Whenever he speaks on the event, he does so with incredible fondness and praise.
However, on this occasion, his claims relating to the competition regard something he actually rejected.
Roger Federer reveals Wimbledon’s plans
Federer has been everywhere at the moment in an effort to promote his upcoming Amazon Prime documentary, speaking in all manner of newspapers whilst also appearing on billboards and on the side of famous monuments.
In a concerted effort to draw attention to the Swiss superstar, he has revealed some really interesting nuggets of information from his career and the time that has passed since ending it.
One in particular revelation relates to last year’s Wimbledon, revealing the plans they had to honour him, which he shot down.
He told German outlet Welt: ‘That year they wanted to say goodbye to me, but I said: We definitely won’t do that on the court. It’s for the players. So they suggested the Royal Box. I agreed to that. Then Princess Catherine, my wife, my parents and my coaches were there. Those were very touching moments. The ovations didn’t want to stop.
‘If my career had only consisted of Wimbledon, it would have been a huge career. I owe a lot to Wimbledon. It all started with the junior title in 1998.
‘I’ll be back again this year. All my children have told me that they definitely want to go to Wimbledon again. I just said: Really? So we’ll organize a great trip together.’
This comes after Federer wondered whether he retired from tennis too early, also in the run-up to this documentary.
The coolest man in tennis will return to Wimbledon
Whilst it is interesting to see the modest side of such a successful and cool man, within these claims it is also exciting to learn that he will return to Wimbledon this year.
As he notes, he shared a historic relationship with this tournament, and despite Novak Djokovic’s best efforts, Federer still remains the most successful in its history with eight titles.
When he made his return in 2023, sporting a tan suit and sat beside English royalty, he could not have looked more slick and suave. It seems the style of the man perfectly matches the tennis he used to play, with his elegant one-handed backhands one of the sport’s most iconic shots.
People will likely clamour, as they always do, to try and watch the sparkling tennis on display in SW19 this summer.
But if they catch a glimpse of Federer from up in the stands too, that will always be an added benefit for any avid fan.
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