Roger Federer will miss out on playing at Wimbledon for the first time since 1999, and John McEnroe was one of the first to praise the 20-time Grand Slam winner.
Federer has struggled with injury in the previous two seasons after he underwent surgery on his knee. As a result, the Swiss player's last appearance came at the 2021 Wimbledon tournament where he was knocked out in the quarter-final against Hubert Hurkacz and he has not featured on the ATP since.
It was confirmed earlier in June that Federer would not make this season's Wimbledon competition but that he would try to get fit and ready for one more appearance next season. 2022 will therefore be the first time in the Swiss' 23-year career that he has missed the grass court Grand Slam.
Federer's first Wimbledon title came in 2003—his first-ever Grand Slam victory—and he went on to win the competition eight times during his career. The 40-year-old has also won Wimbledon more times than any other Grand Slam, and his most recent triumph came in 2017 when he defeated Marin Cilic.
McEnroe, who won the grass-court Grand Slam three times, is a former player who is also familiar with success at Wimbledon. When speaking to reporters about Federer's absence from SW19 this season, McEnroe asked fans to focus on the positives of the Swiss player's career.
"Twenty years, you got to look at the bright side. You had a lot of time where you got a chance to watch this guy play and win it numerous times. So, we have to sort of hope that whatever he decides he's happy with. He's 40. He's made it this far. It's amazing."
McEnroe is a regular commentator and pundit at Wimbledon each year and has watched Federer win the competition first-hand on several occasions.
When looking back at Federer's career so far, the former American player couldn't hold back in his immense praise and admiration for the 20-time Grand Slam winner and the way he plays tennis.
"Roger Federer is a living legend. We all know that. He's the epitome of what you would want your kid to be when they grow up. And he's the most beautiful player I've ever watched play. I idolised (Rod) Laver. He's kind of an updated Laver to me."