Now, hold on—before we all book our tickets, Federer hasn’t finalized any events or locked in a venue. But just that quote is enough to set off excitement across the tennis world. One man who’s been paying close attention is Andy Roddick. On his podcast Served, the American reflected on Federer’s painful final years on tour and how tough his comeback road had been. “I don’t think people really fully understand how bad his knee was and how many times a surgery didn’t go as planned,” Roddick said. “Like not not even just to play tennis, but even when he played doubles to finish Laver Cup, that was really dicey. Like when I saw him at Laver Cup in 21 and people were like, oh, he’s going to come back, and he was on crutches and he was hiding them for like photo ops.”
That knee? It’s been through a lot. Back in 2020, Federer had not one, but two surgeries on his right knee within months. First in February. Then again in June. Both wiped out his 2020 season. He did try to return in 2021 but barely made it past Wimbledon. After that, he quietly admitted defeat. “I stopped believing,” Federer said, when talking about his ability to return to top form.
Roddick believes this potential comeback—whatever shape it takes—might be Federer finally giving fans a proper goodbye. “I know that he’s always wanted to do a bigger goodbye. It sounds like maybe now the knee is healthy enough where he could probably entertain it,” he said. “I think people want to be able to say goodbye to him. I can’t imagine. I mean, I know the shots that he was able to hit when the chips were down, as far as that would make you go ooh and ah. Imagine if, you know, it was just an open canvas and a paintbrush and he could mess around and there was no real consequence. That’d be amazing to watch.”
Roger Federer takes the court to surprise wheelchair tennis players
Recently, during a break from vacationing in Monte Carlo, Roger Federer surprised a group of wheelchair tennis players at an event hosted by ON. He walked onto the court, and jaws dropped instantly. Giuliano Carnovali, one of the players, was one of many who couldn’t believe their eyes. “We were out there playing tennis when suddenly Roger walks onto the court. His Aura is Insane. I completely freaked out,” he wrote on Instagram.
The Swiss legend hit with nearly 10 players on each court, spending at least 20 minutes per group. Carnovali shared how Federer made time for everyone: “He was the nicest guy. He said hi to everyone, shook hands, took pictures, and then started feeding balls like a tennis coach.He made time for every single one of us, hitting with about 10 people on our court for at least 20 minutes. And he did the same on maybe six different courts. It was incredible to see how humble, friendly, and truly authentic he is. They always say ‘never meet your idols, you’ll be disappointed.’ But this was the complete opposite. It was more than I ever imagined. I’m still shaking. I’m thrilled.”
So Federer’s racquet is no longer collecting dust. And while we don’t know where or when he’ll pop up next, one thing’s for sure—he’s not done creating memories. Where would you like to see Federer play first? Let us know in the comments below.
The post ‘He Could Mess Around’- Roger Federer’s Tennis Comeback Sparks Great Anticipation From Retired American Rival appeared first on EssentiallySports.
