Sue Barker makes plea in tribute to Roger Federer Wimbledon that would break club tradition

Sue Barker thinks the All England Tennis Club should break with tradition to honor the legendary Roger Federer. The Swiss icon, who has won eight of his 20 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, retired from the sport amid emotional scenes at last week's Laver Cup tournament.

The 41-year-old has teamed up with longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal to represent Team Europe in Friday night's doubles. But there was to be no fairytale ending, with the Team World duo of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe taking a spectacular 11-9 tiebreak.

Afterwards, the Swiss maestro broke down in tears as he addressed the crowd at the O2 Arena, and tributes have since poured in for the player who transcended his sport. Many fans and pundits had advised him to leave after a final appearance at SW19 next summer, but persistent knee problems hastened his retirement.

He was at Wimbledon as a guest this summer, which also happened to be Barker's last after being on BBC cover for nearly three decades. And speaking last week, Barker was asked if any of the stands on the famous grass pitch should be renamed in honor of Federer.

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"I'm not sure that will happen, I don't think they've done it for Fred [Perry] yet," she replied. "They really only did things for the British champions. But I hope they do something. Maybe [renaming] part of the clubhouse? Because he played such a big part in Wimbledon."

Although he is not from the UK, Federer's immense popularity and position in the game make it unlikely that many will object to such a move. Nadal himself has been similarly honored before, with the PistaRafa Nadal stadium in Barcelona named after him.

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