Roger Federer has announced his retirement from tennis, declaring next week's Laver Cup in London will be his farewell tournament.

The Swiss great, who has won 20 grand slams, becomes the first of the 'Big Three' on the men's tour to call it a day, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic still active.

Federer said he was making a "bittersweet decision", having battled knee injuries in the hope of returning to the tour.

Now 41 years old, Federer wrote in a statement on social media on Thursday: "As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries.

"I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.

"I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.

"The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in grand slams or on the tour."

England's second day of the final Test against South Africa has been postponed and tributes continue to flood in as the sporting world reacts to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday Her Majesty had passed away peacefully at the age of 96, with members of the Royal Family travelling to Balmoral to be by her side.

The Queen was the UK's longest reigning monarch. 

Here, Stats Perform wraps up what impact her death has had on sporting events and picks out tributes from some of the biggest names in sport.

Postponements announced, with weekend fixtures likely to be impacted

The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the second day of the third Test against South Africa will not take place on Friday.

There was no play on Thursday at The Oval due to poor weather, and the deciding encounter will not resume on Friday as planned.

The ECB said an update would be provided in "due course" for fixtures over the weekend and beyond.

Friday's play at the BMW PGA Championship has also been suspended, with no word yet on whether the tournament will continue over the weekend.

Europa League fixtures involving Manchester United and Arsenal, and West Ham's Europa Conference League game all went ahead on Thursday. Each match featured a moment of silence, while players wore black armbands in tribute.

There has been no confirmation on whether Premier League games will go ahead this weekend, although the English Football League called two games off on Friday as a "mark of respect".

Norwich City were scheduled to visit Burnley in the Championship on Friday, while Tranmere Rovers and Stockport Country were set to meet in League Two.

Northampton Saints' Premiership Rugby Cup clash with Saracens on Thursday was postponed, but Leeds Rhinos' Super League game against Catalans Dragons on Friday is still scheduled to take place.

Governing bodies and teams herald 'one of the world's most-respected figures'

The Premier League said it was "deeply saddened" to hear of the passing of the Queen, while England's biggest football clubs expressed their sorrow.

A statement from Manchester United read: "Manchester United shares the sorrow of the entire nation. The club recognises her immense contribution to public life, including sport, both here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world."

Premier League champions Manchester City expressed their "sincere condolences" to the Royal Family and said "Her Majesty's dedication and service has been exemplary".

Chelsea said they "join those mourning in the UK and across the world", while Liverpool also expressed their sadness at the Queen's death.  

The Football Association (FA) also joined in with the tributes.

The Queen famously handed over the Jules Rimet Trophy to Bobby Moore after England's World Cup final triumph over West Germany at Wembley in 1966.

Meanwhile, she recently told the women's football team – the Lionesses – that their home triumph at Euro 2022 would serve as "an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations".

The FA released a statement on Twitter, reading: "We have sent our deepest condolences to our president, HRH The Duke of Cambridge and the whole of the Royal Family following the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We join our nation in mourning her loss."

In tennis, a minute's silence will be held at the US Open, while the ATP and WTA Tours paid tribute.

The US Open will pay tribute to Her Majesty with a photo montage and moment of silence ahead of the first women's singles semi-final between Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Meanwhile, the ATP and WTA tweeted: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We are grateful for her contributions to tennis, and our thoughts and condolences are with the British Royal Family."

Formula One president and CEO Stefano Domenicali offered his "deepest condolences" to the Royal Family, while UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said: "UEFA and European football are truly saddened by the passing away of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, one of the world's most-respected figures."

Beckham and Pele lead sporting tributes 

The sporting world has been quick to pay tribute to the Queen, with the likes of Pele, Roger Federer and David Beckham all sharing their memories of her. 

Pele, widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, posted on Twitter: "I have been a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth II since the first time I saw her in person, in 1968, when she came to Brazil to witness our love for football and experienced the magic of a packed Maracana.

"Her deeds have marked generations. This legacy will last forever."

Former England men's football captain Beckham posted on Instagram: "I'm truly saddened by the death of Her Majesty, The Queen. What an outpouring of love and respect we saw for the Platinum Jubilee for her life of service.

"How devastated we all feel today shows what she has meant to people in this country and around the world. How much she inspired us with her leadership. How she comforted us when times were tough.

"Until her last days, she served her country with dignity and grace. This year, she would have known how loved she was. My thoughts and prayers are with our Royal Family."

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer tweeted: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Her Royal Majesty. Her elegance, grace and loyalty to her duty will live on in history.

"I would like to send my thoughts and condolences to the entire Royal Family and Great Britain."

Another tennis legend, Billie Jean King, also took to social media to share a photo of her meeting the Queen at Wimbledon in 2010, while paying her own tribute to a "respected leader around the world."

The 39-time major winner posted: "For 70 years, her leadership, impact, and influence on the United Kingdom and the entire global community has been immense. I met her in 2010 at Wimbledon, and it was a special moment for me.

"She was the longest reigning British monarch in history, the only woman from the Royal Family to serve in the armed forces, and a respected leader around the world. She earned her place in history, and she will be missed."

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, who helped mastermind the London 2012 Olympic Games, said: "The Queen was such a beloved constant in the lives of so many people over so many years that it is hard to comprehend that she is no longer with us," he stated.

"She was on the throne before most of us were born and she lived a life of extraordinary service to the people of her country and the Commonwealth.

"In the most demanding of roles, she has shown exceptional leadership, grace, wisdom and fortitude, touching us across the full fabric of society, including sport."

David Beckham has joined the likes of Pele, Jose Mourinho and Roger Federer in paying tribute to The Queen following the death of Her Majesty at the age of 96.

Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that the UK's longest reigning monarch had passed away peacefully in Balmoral, where members of the Royal Family travelled to be by her side.

Tributes have subsequently poured in from around the world, while some of the biggest names in sport have taken to social media to pay their own respects.

Former England men's football captain Beckham posted on Instagram: "I'm truly saddened by the death of Her Majesty, The Queen. What an outpouring of love and respect we saw for the Platinum Jubilee for her life of service.

"How devastated we all feel today shows what she has meant to people in this country and around the world. How much she inspired us with her leadership. How she comforted us when times were tough.

"Until her last days, she served her country with dignity and grace. This year, she would have known how loved she was. My thoughts and prayers are with our Royal Family."

Meanwhile, footballing legend Pele added on Twitter: "I have been a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth II since the first time I saw her in person, in 1968, when she came to Brazil to witness our love for football and experienced the magic of a packed Maracana.

"Her deeds have marked generations. This legacy will last forever."

Speaking after Roma's Europa League clash with Ludogorets, head coach Mourinho said: "I'm so sorry. I have lived in England for many years, my family is there. I don't think there's anyone who doesn't appreciate this great woman."

Current Three Lions skipper Harry Kane described the Queen as "an amazing inspiration," while team-mate Marcus Rashford also paid tribute to the late monarch.

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer tweeted: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Her Royal Majesty. Her elegance, grace and loyalty to her duty will live on in history.

"I would like to send my thoughts and condolences to the entire Royal Family and Great Britain."

"We all knew the end was near but to me, our Queen was like a member of our family," former boxing world champion Frank Bruno posted. 

"I was lucky and blessed to meet her a few times. She was the Matriarch, mother of our nation. My thoughts are with the Royal Family - sad, sad day."

Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah added:  "My condolences to the Royal Family at this very sad time. The Queen was loved all over the world and meant so much to so many.

"Meeting her was one of the greatest honours of my life. We will remember her for her warmth and dedication to the British people throughout her reign."

Matteo Berrettini outlined his desire to see Roger Federer return to the court as he compared the 20-time grand slam champion to retiring legend Serena Williams.

Federer has not played competitively since losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, and has since undergone his third knee surgery in two years.

But the 41-year-old is hopeful of returning to the court for this month's Laver Cup, where he is set to team up with Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic for Team Europe.

Federer recently shared an encouraging video of a practice session on social media after stepping up his rehabilitation. 

With tennis set to lose one legend after Williams' final US Open campaign was ended by Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, the return of Federer would represent a major boost for the sport.

Speaking after beating Murray in the third round at Flushing Meadows, Berrettini said: "I think I said it so many times. Probably it's never going to be enough. One of the reasons why I'm here now is Roger. 

"He was my idol when I was growing up. I was cheering for him, so I want him back really badly.

"He's just like Serena, I guess, one of a kind, you know?

"I wish him a really speedy recovery in whatever he's doing to come back. I wish I could play one more time against him."

Berrettini has lost each of his two tour-level matches against Federer, including a straight-sets defeat at Wimbledon in 2019.

Tennis great Roger Federer has congratulated outgoing 23-time major winner Serena Williams on an "incredible career".

The 41-year-old Swiss revealed in a video message posted by the ATP Tour that he stayed up as a teenager to watch Williams' maiden US Open triumph in 1999 and lavished praise on her impact in the sport.

Williams, 40, last month announced her intention to evolve out of tennis after the US Open, where she has remarkably progressed to the third round following her upset win over second seed Anett Kontaveit on Thursday.

"I wanted to congratulate you for a most incredible career," 20-time grand slam champion Federer said.

"You know what you've achieved. I know what you've done. You know what it is, it just beyond incredible.

"I know it's probably with mixed feelings you're leaving this wonderful sport that has given you everything and more. I wish you all the best with your family."

Williams has won six US Open titles during her decorated playing career, including her maiden Flushing Meadows triumph in 1999.

"I think back at '99 at the US Open when you played Martina Hingis, I stayed up late to watch you battle it out as that was the beginning to your incredible career that you've had ever since," Federer said.

"I think the future is going to be wonderful for you. I'm sure it is. Please return to tennis. The tennis community and family will always welcome you with open arms and always be happy to see you again, so please return.

"For now enjoy this moment, enjoy the US Open, enjoy everything that's coming this next couple of weeks even though it might be hard for you.

"But I'm thinking of you and all my respect. I wish you all the very best for your future. Take care Serena."

Federer has not played professional tennis since Wimbledon last year, but has not retired and the former world number one is hoping for a return to action soon.

Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci does not foresee a dream US Open triumph for the retiring legend, but believes the Flushing Meadows crowd could help her enjoy a strong run.

Williams, who announced she was "evolving away" from tennis earlier this month, will begin her final US Open campaign against Danka Kovinic on Monday.

While the 40-year-old's tally of 23 grand slam titles is the most of any player in the Open Era (since 1968), she remains one victory short of Margaret Court's all-time record of 24. 

But Macci, who coached both Williams and older sister Venus at the beginning of their trophy-laden careers, struggles to see her adding one final title before signing off.

"They asked me can Serena Williams win the US Open and I said she already has, six times," Macci told Stats Perform. 

"Can she? It's highly unlikely simply because people aren't afraid of her, the movement and confidence aren't like it was because she hasn't played, she hasn't played that much in the last year and you need to play to get your footwork and stamina. 

"The fighting spirit, the Compton street fight and the heart is there. If she gets a good draw, she could beat some people. I like how she played against [Emma] Raducanu [a 6-4 6-0 loss in Cincinnati earlier in August], I like that she's more aggressive, but this takes time. 

"If she can win a few matches who knows what could happen? That crowd in New York is going to take her down memory lane and make her even more competitive, who knows what's going to happen to the person on the other side of the net?

"That's why I was so impressed with Raducanu, the way she handled that moment, she played the best match she had in a year. 

"It cuts both ways but it's highly unlikely she can win the Open. 

"She's not even looking at it like that, she's letting everyone savour the moment and going out on her terms and it's going to be must-see tv."

Asked who he thought would emerge victorious at Flushing Meadows, Macci tipped another American to win on home soil, adding: "I'd love to see Coco Gauff because I know the family and I think she has wonderful potential.

"Iga [Swiatek] is vulnerable now because when you win 35 in a row, you feel like you just show up you're going to win. 

"Now that she's lost a few there's a little doubt there. It's wide open, I'm going to go out on a limb and I'm taking Coco Gauff."

As for the men's draw, which appears balanced after Novak Djokovic's non-vaccinated status prevented him from travelling to New York, Macci thinks third seed Carlos Alcaraz could be set for a maiden grand slam win.

"I've already gone out there and talked about this, Carlos Alcaraz is a generational player, he's going to transcend the game," Macci added.

"I've already had people blow back on me like, 'why isn't he winning?' Trust me, he just turned 19 and is [number] four or five in the world, I think he'll win multiple grand slams and he's the next real deal and he's my favourite to win the US Open on the men's side."

Djokovic is not alone in missing the US Open, with Roger Federer also absent as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, while Rafael Nadal is making his first appearance at the slam since triumphing in 2019.

Four different men have tasted success at Flushing Meadows in the last four years, while each of the last three editions have featured different women's singles champions, and Macci believes the issues endured by several ageing greats have made tennis more competitive.

"I think a lot of people are heading toward exit stage left and they're not quite at the top, [such as] Federer, or maybe there's the vaccination and maybe Nadal you're not quite where you were and [Andy] Murray," he added.

"Then you've got Serena, you've got these people who are household names that are out of the equation, more people are coming in and it changes everything when you don't have those roadblocks at the round of 16. 

"You're looking at the semis when before, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray just dominated. There was a time when those four were always in the semis. The women's you could almost predict, now you can't.

"It has nothing to do with the US Open because the young lady that won Wimbledon [Elena Rybakina], you never heard of her. It's just wide open and it's going to take a while to stabilise everything." 

Rafael Nadal described Novak Djokovic's absence from the US Open as "very sad" after the Serbian revealed he would not compete at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic announced he would not be making the trip to New York on Thursday, due to visitors to the United States being required to display proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

The US Open will represent the second grand slam Djokovic has missed this year, after his unvaccinated status saw him deported from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open in January.

Nadal is one of the most likely players to benefit from Djokovic's absence as he bids to win a 23rd grand slam title, but the Spaniard expressed sympathy for his rival as he prepared to begin his US Open campaign against Rinky Hijikata next week.

"From my personal perspective, it's very sad news," Nadal said. "It's always a shame when the best players in the world are not able to play a tournament because of injuries or because of different reasons.

"It's tough for the fans, tough for the tournament. In my opinion, tough for the players, too, because we want to have the best field possible."

Nadal's clash with Hijikata will represent his first outing at Flushing Meadows since he beat Daniil Medvedev to win the 2019 title, and injuries have caused him to miss four of the last 10 editions of the tournament.

Roger Federer, another of Nadal's great rivals, will also miss the competition after undergoing three knee operations in two years, but the Spaniard believes the major championships can cope with the absences of tennis' aging stars.

"The world of tennis [will] keep going, even if it is not good news for everyone," he added. "The world continues and the tennis will continue after me, after Novak, after Roger.

"Without a doubt, Novak is one of the most important players of the last 20 years, [in] the history of our sport. In a personal way, I feel sorry for him that he's not able to travel here."

Meanwhile, Federer is hoping to return to the court for September's Laver Cup, where he will join Nadal and Djokovic in a star-studded Team Europe line-up, and the Swiss maestro's old foe is desperate to see him make his long-awaited comeback.

"I'm super excited to see Roger again on court, of course," Nadal said. "I hope he's healthy enough to make that happen.

"It has been a long period of time without Roger on court so I really hope that he can manage to be back.

"The most important thing at this stage of his career is the health and the happiness, no? If he's healthy enough and happy enough to be back on the tennis tour, it will be amazing. 

"If not, we can say thanks to him for everything that he achieved. I am confident that we will keep having Roger for a while."

John McEnroe has called Novak Djokovic's potential absence from the US Open over his vaccination status a "joke".

The United States does not currently allow those who have not received the COVID-19 jab into the country, putting the unvaccinated Djokovic in real danger of missing this year's edition of the tournament he has won three times.

The Serb has already missed the Australian Open this year because of his lack of vaccination, while also missing tournaments at Indian Wells in California, as well as the Rogers Cup in Canada.

He did however win his 21st Grand Slam at Wimbledon earlier this year, and McEnroe believes Djokovic should be allowed to play at Flushing Meadows as he chases down Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles in history.

Ahead of the tournament in New York, McEnroe told reporters: "No, I don't think it's fair. I think it's a joke.

"I would have had the vaccine and gone and played but he's got very strong beliefs and you have to respect that. 

"At this point, in the pandemic, we're two and a half years in, I think people in all parts of the world know more about it, and the idea that he can’t travel here to play, to me is a joke."

On whether Djokovic's decision not to get the vaccine could affect his competition with Nadal and Roger Federer to become the most decorated male player ever, McEnroe replied: "That's the question that we all want to know the answer to.

"Obviously, Rafa Nadal has benefited from that. These three guys are already above everyone else. So, it makes it extremely interesting to see these two go at it and then you think of Roger Federer but he's been hurt for a while."

However, McEnroe believes Djokovic can overcome his vaccination status to win more titles, adding: "Who's to say [Djokovic] can't do it for another couple of years?

"Let's say that he wins three or four more. That's not impossible, by any means. Despite this, he can still get to 25. I think it's made it more complicated to do it because that has to wear on you mentally.

"Training this past month or six weeks not knowing whether he's going to play, that's going to put a strain on you mentally just as it was when he got thrown out of Australia. I think it took him three, four months to get his head right."

Roger Federer looks bang on course to launch his comeback next month after the 20-time grand slam winner posted an encouraging video of a practice session on Sunday.

The Swiss turned 41 on August 8 and has not played a match since losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year.

He has undergone knee surgery in the meantime, his third such operation inside two years, but is determined to resume his playing career and looked to be enjoying being back on court in a short clip posted to Instagram.

Federer is due to play in the Laver Cup, which will be staged in London from September 23 to 25, with Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic set to join him in an illustrious Team Europe line-up.

It will be a reunion for the 'Big Four', who were once so dominant as a group, with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud also on the European team, which will be captained by Bjorn Borg.

Federer is then entered for the Swiss Indoors in his home city of Basel, where he has been champion 10 times previously and holds a remarkable 75-9 win-loss career record.

It remains to be seen whether that October 24-30 tournament is a farewell appearance, or another step towards playing regularly on the ATP tour once more.

At Wimbledon in July, Federer appeared at a parade of former champions and said he wished to play at the All England Club again, which points to him planning to play in the 2023 season.

"I hope I can come back here one more time," said Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon champion.

A dream team of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray will be complemented by Novak Djokovic at the Laver Cup.

Nadal, Federer and Murray had already been confirmed for the 2022 edition of the tournament, to be held in London in September.

And Djokovic, who won his 21st grand slam title at Wimbledon earlier this month, has now joined his fellow greats to add to a formidable Team Europe line-up.

The Serb last competed in the Laver Cup in 2018, and while it is yet unclear if he will be able to feature at the upcoming US Open due to his COVID-19 vaccination status, Djokovic is relishing the chance to play alongside the best players of the modern era.

He said: "It's the only competition where you can play in a team environment with guys that you're normally competing against and to be joining Rafa, Roger and Andy – three of my biggest all-time rivals – it's going to be a truly unique moment in the history of our sport."

"I don't think I could have imagined having these four icons of the sport on one team together," said Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg.

"I know they, like I, appreciate the significance of this moment and will be truly up for it.

"Each year our goal is to win. With Rafa, Roger, Andy and Novak on the team, I like our chances."

The quartet have accounted for 66 of the last 76 grand slam titles won in men's tennis, while one of them held the number one spot every week between February 2004 and February 2022, when Daniil Medvedev ended that run.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz and Diego Schwartzman have been confirmed to be competing Team World - led by John McEnroe.

Six players will compete on each team, meaning Team Europe still have two more spots to fill, while Team World have three spare.

Roger Federer won his eighth Wimbledon men's singles title on July 16, 2017, when he swatted aside Marin Cilic to move past Pete Sampras and Willian Renshaw on the all-time list.

The Swiss great spurned match points against Novak Djokovic in the 2019 final, and in all likelihood it will be eight and out for Federer.

To mark five years since that last triumph, when Federer picked apart a blister-hit Cilic, Stats Perform has selected five Wimbledon classics featuring the 20-time grand slam winner.

It would have been easy to select many more, with Federer having won 105 of his 119 singles matches at Wimbledon, but these stick in the mind.

2001: Sinking Sampras, announcing impending greatness

Three years on from winning the boys' singles title, it was a 19-year-old Federer who came to Wimbledon 2001 in pursuit of a first main-draw win. He had lost in round one in 1999 and 2000, to Jiri Novak and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, but his talent was becoming widely known. This time Federer advanced to the quarter-finals, fending off Christophe Rochus, Xavier Malisse and Jonas Bjorkman, before running into the great Pete Sampras in round four.

Sampras had mopped up four in a row and seven of the last eight men's singles titles at Wimbledon, but the American's reign would be ended by the teenage Federer, a sensational 7-6 (9-7) 5-7 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 winner.

The beaten Sampras offered a prescient comment after the match, saying: "There are a lot of young guys coming up, and Roger is one of them. But I think he's a little extra special than some of the other guys."

Federer would lose to Tim Henman in the quarters of a tournament that was won by wildcard Goran Ivanisevic, and in 2002 Federer crashed to Mario Ancic in round one, but from 2003 to 2007 the man from Basle was unbeatable in SW19, lifting the title five years in succession.

This was the victory that made him believe it possible.

2008: Nadal halts Federer charge

Federer's glory run had taken in final wins over Mark Philippoussis, Andy Roddick (twice) and Rafael Nadal, also on two occasions. When it came to the 2008 trilogy clash between the five-time champion and the Spanish youngster, the previous year's five-set title match had pointed to likely fireworks.

In 2007, Federer had fended off a charge from the Spaniard to breeze through the decider, but it would be a different story third time around. Perhaps the greatest Wimbledon final in living memory was capped by late-night drama as Federer, who had not dropped a set until the showpiece match, roared back from a two-set deficit, saving match points in the fourth-set tie-break, to set up a winner-takes-all finale.

Earlier rain delays meant it was 21:15 BST when Nadal crossed the winning line, the clay-court king triumphing 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7 after four hours and 48 minutes of a raging, breathtaking battle to bring to an end Federer's reign on grass.

2009: After one trilogy final, could Roddick defy Federer in another?

Journalist: How would you describe what you did today?

Andy Roddick: I lost.

That press conference exchange just about summed up Roddick's floored state of mind after he succumbed 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 16-14 to Federer in their third Wimbledon final.

The American played a spectacularly great match over four hours and 16 minutes and yet was still beaten by his long-time rival, whose victory gave him a record 15th men's grand slam title, as 14-time winner Sampras watched on.

Federer served 50 aces that day, many of them in a staggering tense final set, simply refusing to lose.

2010: Saving face against Falla

A year on from the Roddick epic, Federer was plunged into another in round one when Colombian left-hander Alejandro Falla looked like pulling off an upset for the ages.

Falla was the talk of the sporting world when he snatched the first two sets, and the world number 60 had three break points against Federer's serve at 4-4 in the third.

Federer clung on, and in the fourth he again repelled the danger when Falla served for the match at 5-4 ahead. From that point, having spurned glorious opportunities to close it out, Falla faded and ended up losing 5-7 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 6-0.

It was a reminder that Federer can be a scrapper too, winning on off days, refusing to submit to humiliation.

2016: Cilic classic leaves Federer "ecstatic"

This was the quarter-final that fuelled hopes the meeting of Federer and Cilic in the 2017 final would prove to be another Wimbledon masterpiece.

That title match, a year later, proved an anti-climax, but this tussle in the last eight was spellbinding, with Cilic going two sets clear and having three match points in the fourth.

Having beaten Federer in the US Open semi-finals two years previous, Cilic again produced lights-out tennis, only to find the great champion across the net stubbornly refusing to give ground as the match reached its climax.

Federer scrambled admirably to snatch a 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 6-3 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 victory, saying: "I'm ecstatic I was able to come through. It wasn't going well for me, so it was about staying in the match somehow, hoping for his level to drop maybe a little bit, and get a little bit lucky. It was an incredible match."

He could not keep it going, losing another five-setter to Milos Raonic in the semi-finals, but Federer would be back a year later to land his eighth, and surely last, Wimbledon title.

Tennis great Roger Federer is no longer ranked by the ATP Tour after his remaining ranking points expired, meaning he has dropped out of the top 100 for the first time this century.

The 40-year-old has not played since undergoing knee surgery after a straight-sets defeat to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2021, having also missed much of the 2020 season with a similar injury.

But Federer, a 20-time grand slam champion, has repeatedly ruled out retiring and recently said he intends to make an ATP Tour comeback in 2023.

His remaining ranking points have now expired, meaning he has not only dropped out of the top 100 for the first time in almost 23 years, but he is no longer ranked at all by the ATP.

According to Opta, the last time the Swiss superstar was not ranked among the 100 best players in the world was October 4, 1999, a remarkable 8,316 days ago.

Daniil Medvedev remains as world number one, while Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic slipped to seventh in the rankings despite his win over Nick Kyrgios at SW19 on Sunday, as ranking points were stripped in this year's tournament.

Martina Navratilova said she was "gutted" to miss Wimbledon's Centre Court centenary celebration after testing positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

The nine-time champion was absent from a parade of champions, and in a series of posts on social media she explained why she had to sit it out.

Past winners were introduced to the main show court's middle Sunday crowd, with the one-time champions going first, all the way through to eight-time Wimbledon king Roger Federer.

Navratilova would have come out last of all, as the most successful singles player in Wimbledon history, but she was unable to take part. Including doubles, Navratilova won 20 slam titles at Wimbledon.

"Unfortunately I will miss it as I just tested positive this morning," she wrote on Twitter shortly before the ceremony. "Am so bummed!!!! I am gutted I can't be there."

Confirming she had the coronavirus, Navratilova wrote: "Yup, got it here for sure… oh well. So wanted to be on that court with so many champions of our sport."

Asked how she was feeling, the 65-year-old Czech-born American added: "Not too bad so far- wouldn't want to play tennis but ok… fingers crossed."

A host of greats of the game delighted the crowd, with stars of the women's tour including Navratilova's former great rivals Chris Evert and Billie Jean King, along with Margaret Court and Venus Williams, while Federer was joined by a field of fellow men's superstars that included Rod Laver, Novak Djokovic, Stefan Edberg, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Three-time former champion Boris Becker was another notable absentee, after the German was jailed in April for offences relating to his 2017 bankruptcy. Seven-time winner Serena Williams also missed the event, after her first-round defeat.

Navratilova has been working at Wimbledon during the championships, notably appearing as a member of the BBC broadcast team.

Roger Federer hopes he can grace Centre Court at Wimbledon one last time as he bids to return from the knee injury he suffered last year.

The 20-time grand slam champion has not played since undergoing knee surgery after a straight-sets defeat to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals at SW19 last July, having also missed much of the 2020 season with a similar injury.

But Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon champion, has repeatedly ruled out retiring and said last month he intends to make an ATP tour comeback in 2023.

Speaking alongside a swathe of former Wimbledon champions at a ceremony marking 100 years since the opening of Centre Court, the 40-year-old said he hopes to extend his long association with the tournament when he returns.

"I've been lucky enough to play a lot of matches on this court, it feels awkward to be here today in a different type of role, but it's great to be here with all the other champions," he said.

"This court has given me my biggest wins, my biggest losses, one of my highlights of course was in 2001, walking out here with Pete Sampras [for a memorable fourth-round match], who inspired a lot of us to play, to try to be successful and represent the sport well, I hope I did that.

"I hope I can come back like you said, one more time."

Federer's injury woes have reduced him to featuring at just three of the last 10 grand slams, and he revealed his recovery had taken longer than he anticipated. 

"Of course, I've missed being here, I would have loved to be here," he added.

"I knew walking out here last year [after his exit] it was going to be a tough year ahead. 

"Maybe I didn't think it was going to take me this long to come back, but the knee has been rough on me.

"But I've been happy, it's been a good year, regardless of tennis."

Another big-serving display from John Isner at Wimbledon means he now has the most ATP Tour aces on record.

Ivo Karlovic – one of only two tennis stars taller than the giant Isner – had set the benchmark with 13,728 across his career, the most since aces were first tracked in 1991.

But Isner has chipped away at that total over the course of this week at the All England Club.

The American's 54 aces in five sets against Enzo Couacaud in the first round made him the first player to pass 50 in a grand slam match since he had last done so versus Steven Johnson at the 2020 US Open.

And there were a further 36 in an epic second-round win over Andy Murray, leaving Isner just four short of matching Karlovic and five away from passing him.

Against Jannik Sinner, in Friday's third round, Isner raced past his target, tallying 12 aces in the first set alone.

It is a record Isner is likely to own for some time, with 43-year-old Karlovic absent from the ATP Tour this year and playing only six main-draw matches in 2021.

Roger Federer is third on the list, way back on 11,478.