Watch: Roger Federer returns to Wimbledon's Centre Court to deafening applause & a standing ovation

Roger Federer, amongst several other former Wimbledon champions, was invited to the All England Club on Sunday to celebrate the centenary of the iconic court.

Rod Laver, John McEnroe, Billie Jean King, Venus Williams, Pat Cash, Marion Bartoli, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Goran Ivanisevic, Chris Evert, Lleyton Hewitt, Petra Kvitova, Bjorn Borg, and Rafael Nadal were some of the former champions invited on Centre Court to mark the historic day.

Each former champion walked out on to the court one by one as their names were called out. Federer was the last champion to walk out since the champions were called out in ascending order of Wimbledon titles.

The eight-time champion walked out to deafening applause and a standing ovation, looking regal in his suit. He stood beside Djokovic, who shared a few words with the Swiss upon the latter's arrival.

Fans hoped to see Federer interact with Rafael Nadal. However, they were left disappointed as the two greats did not visibly interact with each other. On the other hand, Djokovic ended up having a couple of brief chats with the Swiss throughout the ceremony.

Legendary BBC tennis commentator Sue Barker and three-time champion John McEnroe hosted the event. Preparing for Federer's arrival on court, Barker began by saying, "Oh, we have an eight-time champion," and McEnroe followed it up by saying, "His name is Roger Federer."

As expected, the 40-year-old got the loudest crowd reception, given that many were surprised by his presence at the All England Club. Federer opted out of Wimbledon this year because he needed more time to recover from the third knee surgery he underwent in August last year.

The Swiss maestro injured his knee during last year's grasscourt season but still managed to make it to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, where Hubert Hurkacz handed him a beatdown. That was Federer's last match on tour, and he has been on the sidelines since.

However, he is expected to make a comeback later in the year at Basel and the Laver Cup, with some fans hoping that the Swiss will play a full season next year.

"The one and only" - Juan Martin del Potro hails Roger Federer

Roger Federer's appearance on Centre Court was posted by Wimbledon's Twitter handle within minutes of the event itself. The Swiss' former rival and friend Juan Martin del Potro was quick to quote, tweet the video, and shower rich praise on the eight-time champion.

"The one and only," tweeted del Potro.