Not many in the world of sports can boast of having a career as illustrious and as iconic as Roger Federer. Before retiring from the game in September 2022, the Swiss maestro amassed a total of 20 grand slam titles in his stellar career that spanned 24 years. And of course, Federer’s love affair with Wimbledon will forever be remembered, with his 8 SW19 titles making him the most successful men’s player in the history of the competition.

Ivan Ljubicic, who served as Roger Federer’s coach during the latter stages of his career, expressed his dissatisfaction with the celebratory atmosphere surrounding the Swiss legend’s return to the prestigious Centre Court at Wimbledon this year. Despite the significance of the occasion, Ljubicic’s sentiments were less than inspiring. Here’s his perspective on the matter.

Centre Court ovation of Roger Federer not moving enough for Ivan Ljubicic

During the second day of the recently concluded Wimbledon championships, Roger Federer, an 8-time record winner, received a remarkable tribute for his extraordinary career. Amid a 3-minute standing ovation from the spectators, the Swiss maestro made a triumphant return to the Centre Court’s royal box, evoking a sense of overwhelming joy among the fans who were delighted to witness his presence in his iconic domain. However, Ivan Ljubicic, who had been a member of Federer’s coaching team in the latter stages of his career, did not share the same emotional connection with Federer’s memorable return to Wimbledon.

In a recent interview with Swiss daily Basler Zeitung, Ljubicic expressed his thoughts regarding the Swiss icon’s grand SW19 welcome. “I was in the TV booth commenting for Sky Italia. But to be honest, it didn’t trigger that much for me. I think Roger will still be invited to the Royal Box from time to time.”, he said.

He further revealed the 2 occasions involving Roger Federer which brought out the strongest emotions in him, “It was emotional for me when he called me last year and said: “I’m resigning”. My two strongest moments with Roger were when he won the Australian Open in 2017 and when he told me that was it. The most beautiful and the most bitter.”

READ MORE: ?Roger Federer Is My First, Second and Third Priority? ? Ivan Ljubi?i?

It is quite understandable why Ljubicic mentioned Federer’s 2017 Australian Open triumph as his most beautiful experience after associating himself with the 41-year-old. Last year, the Croat shed light on how Roger Federer overcame his archrival Rafael Nadal in the epic final in Melbourne.

Ljubicic opened up on Federer’s memorable 2017 Australian Open final victory against Rafael Nadal

Former world number 3 Ivan Ljubicic joined Federer’s coaching team in 2015, with a view to bringing him back to winning ways in grand slams. Federer was unable to add to his grand slam success for a long time since winning the Wimbledon title in 2012, as he battled with a string of injuries and a rough patch of form.

He finally made an incredible comeback as he clinched the Australian Open crown in 2017, defeating his greatest rival Rafael Nadal in an epic 5-set thriller. In an interview after Federer’s retirement in September last year, Ljubicic recalled how Federer focused and worked on his game to get the better of Nadal, who had much superior head-to-head record against the Swiss at that time.

Safe to say, Ljubicic has closely observed the evolution of Roger Federer during the last phase of his career until his retirement in 2022. Federer’s Centre Court ovation may not have made him as emotional as the others, but his camaraderie with the Swiss maestro still remains intact.?

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