Wimbledon celebrates Centre Court centenary with fireworks and Cliff Richard singing ‘Summer Holiday’ before bringing out former champions Rodger Federer, Andy Murray, Margaret Court
Wimbledon is currently celebrating the 100th year of Center Court with a grand ceremony on Day 7 of the grass-court Championship.
Veteran tennis broadcasters Sue Barker, John McEnroe and Clare Balding have been looking back at some of the iconic moments from the past with former champions.
Those champions have included the likes of Rodger Federer, Andy Murray, Margaret Court. While the stands have been filled with 1,500 refugees and a host of celebrities.
Rodger Federer made a return to centre court on Sunday afternoon – wearing a black an all black suit after being ruled out of this year’s tournament.
The 40-year-old icon had to withdraw from their summer’s Grand Slam event for the first time since 1999 – 23 years – so he can recover from a knee injury.
However, the record eight-time Wimbledon winner is aiming to return to tennis in time for the 2022 Laver Cup in September.
Nevertheless, Federer celebrated his impressive record in SW19 with the crowd on Sunday afternoon and was received a heroes welcome as he walked out onto the court.
Fans were heard screaming and cheering for the Swiss tennis player – who has provided the world with historic moments over the years.
Andy Murray was also presented to the SW19 crowd on Sunday – having recently suffered his earliest Wimbledon exit as he lost in four sets against John Isner in the second round.
Centre Court has been the main stage at the Championships since 1922, when the tournament relocated from SW19’s Worple Road to Church Road.
From Althea Gibson being the first black player to win Wimbledon in 1957, to the now-jailed former grand slam great Boris Becker winning the year the Berlin Wall came down, it has hosted many memorable moments in history.
The court was also bombed in October 1940, during the Second World War, and Wimbledon was unable to repair the damaged section until 1947.
In 1979, it was expanded to host a larger capacity, and in 2009 it gained a retractable roof.
Over the last two years, the tournament has been compromised by coronavirus, as 2020 saw it cancelled, while it had a 50% capacity limit in 2021.
As it returns to its prime in 2022, spectators say that public affection for the court has not waned over 100 years.
More to follow…
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