What happened the last time Roger Federer didn't play Wimbledon?

Eight-time champion Roger Federer will be conspicuous by his absence at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships next week.

The Swiss superstar is the most successful male tennis player in the competition's history. He has won a record 105 matches and reached 12 finals, winning eight titles. Roger Federer has been a regular at Wimbledon since his tournament debut in 1999, losing to Jiri Novak in five sets in the first round.

However, the 40-year-old hasn't played competitively since undergoing knee surgery following his straight-sets loss to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals last year.

Earlier in the year, Roger Federer posted pictures of his gym workouts, prompting speculation about his participation at Wimbledon. He confirmed his participation at the Laver Cup and the Swiss Indoors in his hometown of Basel later in the year, but Wimbledon apparently came too soon for the 20-time Major winner.

As Centre Court prepares to celebrate its 100th year, it will do so without its most successful male tennis player, Roger Federer, 'born in Basel' and 'realised on Centre Court'.

On that note, let's find out what happened the last time Roger Federer didn't feature at the Championships:

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Pete Sampras won his 5th Wimbledon title, with Roger Federer yet to make his competition debut

Pete Sampras won his fifth Wimbledon title in 1998

The year was 1998, and a 16-year-old Roger Federer was still a year away from making his Wimbledon main-draw debut. Pete Sampras was the king of SW19, having won four of the last five titles.

More of the same followed in 1998 as well. The American was in sublime touch, romping to the semifinals without dropping a set. Sampras was ruthless against home hope Tim Henman in the last four, recovering from the loss of the second set to down the British player.

The four-time champion, though, seemed to have met his match in the final against Goran Ivanisevic. In a repeat of the pair's 1994 title match - which Sampras won in straight sets - it was Ivanisevic who started strong.

The temperamental Croat, who beat 1996 champion Richard Krajicek 15-13 in the fifth set in the semis, showed little sign of exertion. Riding behind his hammer lefty serve, Ivanisevic took the opener 7-2 in the tie-break, raising hopes that the new nation of Croatia would have a first Grand Slam winner.

However, the then three-time Wimbledon finalist squandered two set points to take a commanding two-set lead. Ivanisevic sent two Sampras second serves into the net as the American, who also saw two set points come and go, made good on his third to force his way back into contention.

Sampras took the third to take an all-important two-sets-to-one lead. Although Ivanisevic fought back to force a decider, he was running empty. The exhaustion from his long fifth set against Krajicek began to take its toll as Sampras broke his opponent twice to win his fifth Wimbledon title.

Meanwhile, Ivanisevic was utterly dejected after coming up short in a third final at SW 19.

"It feels bad. I cannot describe it. It's the worst moment in my life. I cannot cheer anybody now. I can only kill myself. Now I'm not good for anybody. My legs were not fresh like I was supposed to be. That fifth set against Krajicek cost me this final today," he said.

Sampras, basking in the glory of his 11th Major success, shared his thoughts after equalling Bjorn Borg's record of five Wimbledon titles.

"All Wimbledon (wins) are very, very sweet. It is a little bit overwhelming to have won five, and to be a couple from the record. It's really hard to talk about. It's a little overwhelming to think of myself in those terms," he said.

The American would go on to win two more titles at SW19. Meanwhile, Ivanisevic wouldn't be denied his moment under the Wimbledon sun, embarking on a memorable run to the title after entering as a qualifier in 2001.

That was also the year Roger Federer ended Sampras' seven-year Wimbledon reign with a memorable fifth-set fourth-round win on Centre Court, the pair's only meeting on tour. However, the Swiss would lose in the quarterfinals to Tim Henman.

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Jana Novotna wins maiden Grand Slam singles title, 7-time winner Serena Williams makes Wimbledon debut

Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic poses with her trophy

Meanwhile, there was less drama but more intrigue in the women's draw in 1998. Jana Novotna met Nathalie Tauziat in the title match, marking the first Wimbledon final in the Open Era between two players yet to win a Major.

Novotna avenged her defeat to Martina Hingis in the 1997 final by beating the defending champion in the semis. Meanwhile, Tauziat made the title match after getting the better of Natasha Zvereva in three sets. In what turned out to be a straight-sets win for Novotna, the Czech woman won her lone Grand Slam singles title.

In her final Wimbledon appearance the following year, Novotna was beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual winner Lindsay Davenport. Novotna, unfortunately, passed away due to cancer five years ago.

Meanwhile, a certain Serena Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon winner, made her tournament debut in 1998, losing to Virginia Ruano Pascual in the third round.