Roger Federer is back at the Wimbledon Championships this year, albeit as a VIP enthusiast cheering on some of his favorite players from the Royal Box. On Tuesday, before the start of play on Day 2 on Centre Court, Federer was greeted with a huge around of applause from the crowd and honored by the organizers with a short film celebrating his journey at the Championship, where he has won a men’s singles record, 8 titles.
The Swiss maestro took a seat between his wife, Mirka and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton who is also the Chief Patron of the All England Club. However, Wimbledon over the years has notoriously followed specific protocols established by the organizers when it comes to players greeting the members of the royal family in the UK. And here’s where Roger Federer grabbed some more limelight, for the wrong reasons this time.
Did Roger Federer break royal protocol?
The answer supposedly seems to be in the affirmative. This is because Federer approached the Princess first in the Royal Box and was about to give her a peck on the cheek. However, Middleton awkwardly had to stop him from doing the same. As per the royal protocols, no outsider can greet a member of the royal family in their traditional ways until the royalty greets them first with a handshake.
Yet, that did not seem to affect the occasion much as Roger Federer continued to soak in the applause from the crowd and soon after, the matches begun. However, as Federer has received some criticism from some quarters in the United Kingdom and a section of the tennis community for a ‘brain fade’ moment of sorts, the Duchess herself has broken the protocol on a few occasions, which makes the whole discussion on rules and those applying to individuals, interesting. One of those moments was in 2017 when Kate Middleton planted three kisses on Federer’s cheeks after the Swiss maestro won the Wimbledon title for the 8th time.
It is worth noting that three kisses on the cheek is a traditional way of greeting in Switzerland. Additionally, Federer shares a special friendship with Middleton as well as her sister, Pippa. The entire royal family seems to be in awe of the legend, who is reportedly training the Duchess’ son to become a tennis player. The duo is involved in charity projects as well. Recently, Federer and Middleton had shot for a video on the Wimbledon’s official social media pages, in which they were seen playfully taking on each other on the court, with the Duchess winning the point.
Wimbledon’s gesture though, has been accepted well generally by tennis fans on social media, with many considering Federer’s return as the ‘King of Grass coming back home’ to his favourite venue.
Roger Federer’s impact beyond the tennis court
Roger Federer is one sportsperson who can be called a trailblazer in his sport, making tennis look more elegant and attractive in his playing days. Comparisons with the likes of Michael Jordan from basketball and Babe Ruth from baseball are perhaps not far off the mark. It has made Federer one of the most popular and subsequently, richest athletes of all time as he is only one of the seven to cross the $1 billion mark in earnings.
However, Federer is also known for his magnanimous personality and his desire for an equally fulfilling life outside tennis. Making the most of his riches and the small amount of time available to him, he makes sure to be charitable mainly through the Roger Federer Foundation.
Publicly, it is reported that Federer has donated more than $20 million so far across various charity projects in countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ukraine, South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Australia and Pakistan. The figure is nearly one-tenth of his projected net worth, thanks to his other business partnerships with Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo, a Swiss-based shoe company and a plant-based food company amongst others.
