A standing ovation like when he won at Church Road: the king returned for the salute he had missed
– LONDON
The standing ovation seems endless, the same impression that his records give. King Roger is back at Wimbledon Central, enjoying tennis as a spectator as he had promised to do once his career ends. Federer has returned to the temple in which he built his legend, in which he became a phenomenon by kissing the winner’s cup 8 times, more than anyone else. And Wimbledon paid homage to it.
king roger
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It was a surprisingly short ceremony though, an excellent small tribute to the match between Elena Rybakina and Shelby Rogers, which opened the program on the Central. As Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales entered the Royal Box, the audience rose to their feet and applauded the most popular member of the royal family. Then the ceremony for Federer began. A video with his highlights appeared on the scoreboard, with his legend once again flowing before the eyes of spectators who discovered him as a teenager and applauded him as a phenomenon. Then it was his turn, King Roger. In a maroon jacket, he walked down the steps of the Royal Box, taking a front row seat next to Kate, with whom he recently starred in a charity video about tennis as a uniting sport that went viral in Britain.
THE APPLAUSE
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As Roger descended the steps, the Central broke into a very long applause, like the ones he deserved when his shots enchanted Wimbledon and added chapters to his legend. “And now enjoy the match”, the announcer told him, in a wish that has become that of the whole audience. And Federer did so, trying to enjoy Rybakina-Rogers and exchanging a few words with the Princess of Wales. Nothing flashy, no declarations, just an emotional hello. A virtual hug to a phenomenon that has made history
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