Last year’s Wimbledon Championships marked an end of an era. Legendary television presenter Sue Barker retired after 30 years of service as BBC’s Wimbledon coverage host. Emotions were laid bare as many famous personalities congratulated her on a sumptuous career. Tennis fans were already reeling from the absence of Roger Federer at that event, and Barker’s retirement made the atmosphere more gloomy. Recently, the 67-year-old returned to BBC, but that wasn’t short of emotions either.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion accompanied Barker, as the two spoke on a variety of subjects. During their conversation, the former BBC presenter shed tears while reminiscing about a special memory.

What led to Sue Barker getting emotional?

Barker and the Swiss legend sat down to discuss their iconic careers while also talking about their experiences in the Wimbledon Championships. Further, a moment came when the former World Number 1 reminded Barker about her retirement in 2022.

Reminiscing that memory, Barker got emotional and said, “Honestly, it was the best thing to ever happen to me in my career and I get emotional even thinking about it, so I’m going to move on.” The men’s singles final between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios at 2022 Wimbledon marked the final time Barker presented for this iconic tournament. Further, the two avoided talking about the recent Wimbledon controversy about Just Stop Oil activists interrupting Grigor Dimitrov’s match.

Moving forward, they discussed Federer’s potential comeback at Wimbledon last year. The Swiss maestro had hinted about a comeback at Wimbledon’s centenary celebrations last year. However, soon after, Federer announced his decision to end his illustrious career. Talking about Federer’s retirement decision, Barker said, “I can’t imagine just how difficult that was for you.” 

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Nonetheless. the 20-time Grand Slam champion did return to Wimbledon this year, albeit off the court.

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Earlier this week, the Swiss icon returned to Wimbledon Royal Box during Day 2 of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. Federer was in attendance to witness Andy Murray’s first-round encounter against Ryan Peniston. As Federer made his way to the Royal Box, he received a wonderful gesture from Princess Kate Middleton. She gave the 41-year-old a lengthy standing ovation as he was being celebrated for his wonderful career.

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Meanwhile, Federer proved to be a lucky charm for Murray, as he prevailed over his compatriot in straight sets. He’ll take on the winner of the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem in the second round.