Roger Federer will be celebrated at Wimbledon. A pregnant Serena Williams declined an invitation #Roger #Federer #celebrated #Wimbledon #pregnant #Serena #Williams #declined #invitation

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Roger Federer will be back on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Tuesday. No, not to compete: He’ll be feted for his record-setting career at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.

Federer, who announced his retirement last year, won eight of his 20 Grand Slam singles championships at the All England Club, the most ever by a man — a mark that Novak Djokovic will try to equal this year.

Martina Navratilova set the overall standard by claiming nine women’s singles titles at Wimbledon.

Ground staff practice moving the covers on the outside courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Britain, ahead of the championships starting tomorrow, on Sunday, July 2, 2023. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek advanced despite a rain delay as Wimbledon got started with some of the biggest names in tennis in action, including Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams and Coco Gauff.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia, left, takes part in a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon tennis championships at Wimbledon, in London, Sunday, July 2, 2023. The Wimbledon Tennis championships start on July 3. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Play in the year’s third Grand Slam tournament is set to begin at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic will participate in the first match at Centre Court on Monday as the defending men’s champion.

Australia's Nick Kyrgios practices at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, England, Saturday July 1, 2023, ahead of the Wimbledon tennis championships which start on Monday. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of Wimbledon the night before the tournament’s start. He said he has a torn ligament in his wrist.

Italy's Matteo Berrettini arrives for practicing at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Britain, ahead of the championships starting tomorrow, on Sunday, July 2, 2023. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Matteo Berrettini is ignoring social media ahead of Wimbledon for the time being. Not simply just to avoid negative comments from strangers but to stay away from positive messages, too.

“Pleased to say that Roger will be with us tomorrow, and we will have a special celebratory moment on Centre Court before play starts, just to honor him as the man holding the most Gentleman’s Singles titles here at Wimbledon,” All England Club chairman Sally Bolton said Monday, the first day of action at the two-week event.

“We’ll have a moment just to celebrate his achievements and to say thank you, I think, for us, certainly, for all the memories,” Bolton said.

She said that Serena Williams, who won seven of her 23 major singles trophies at Wimbledon, was invited, too, “but … she’s pregnant, so understandably couldn’t travel.”

Williams also retired after last season.

“(We) of course wish her lots of luck with the remainder of her pregnancy and we hope maybe we might see her next year,” Bolton said.