Roger Federer Shares Cryptic Stance About Returning to Tennis as a Coach
Roger Federer played his final professional career match at the 2022 Laver Cup in London.
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Roger Federer (Image via X/Dinora RF)
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Tennis legend Roger Federer is back at the Australian Open ahead of the start of the event on Sunday (January 18). The six-time champion has been invited by the organizers to enjoy a formal farewell despite having retired nearly four years ago. He will also take part in an exhibition match at the event.
The exhibition match is known as the “Battle of the world No.1’s” and it is part of the opening inaugural ceremony of the event on Saturday (January 17). Other tennis legends, Pat Rafter, Andre Agassi, and Lleyton Hewitt, are touted to take part in the exhibition match, but Federer’s name remains the biggest in the draw.
Federer has made only a few appearances at tennis events since retiring from the sport in 2022. He has often been a guest at the Wimbledon Championships, but he’s often seen at the Laver Cup and the Rolex Shanghai Masters. He will be at the Australian Open for the first time since his last appearance in 2020.
During his interview with TNT Sports, Federer was asked if he desires to return to the sport as a coach, as Carlos Alcaraz recently parted ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven years working together. The 20-time Grand Slam champion revealed that, despite being busy, he cannot write off becoming a coach:
Would I coach? Never say never. [Stefan] Edberg said the same. I’m very busy. Yeah, I got four children. No chance for the moment.
The end of Federer’s career was marred by injuries and surgeries. After claiming the 2020 Australian Open, he had two operations, which forced him away from the court for over a year. He returned to tour in March 2021, competing in just five tournaments – Qatar Open, Geneva Open, the French Open, Terra Wortmann Open, and the Wimbledon Championship.
After playing those events, he took a break from the court and underwent his third knee operation. Ahead of the 2022 Laver Cup, the Swiss legend announced that he was going to play his last professional tennis match at the tournament. He played doubles alongside his arch-rival Rafael Nadal, with Team Europe eventually losing to Team World despite Novak Djokovic’s presence.
Roger Federer reacts to Carlos Alcaraz’s coaching situation at the Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz parted ways with his long-term coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, in December after seven years working together. Their shocking split came just after Alcaraz had his best season, in which he won eight titles, including two Grand Slams and three ATP Masters 1000 crowns.
During the aforementioned interview, Roger Federer was asked about Alcaraz’s coaching situation. The former World No.1 revealed that Alcaraz must be going through a tricky period in his career, but believes the Spaniard has what it takes to play without a coach, though he will need a good one to help him.
I think he can get it with a coach, with no coach. He’s that good, obviously. But a good coach will definitely be helping.I don’t know if he’s so he had to do press here and talk about his Ferrero situation a little bit, which is obviously going to be maybe a little bit uncomfortable or just something you have to do as a pro, but it is definitely going to be very important for him to find the right person in his corner.
Alcaraz will kick off his Australian Open campaign against Adam Walton and a potential clash against Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals. The World No.1 has never won the tournament, with his best runs coming in 2024 and 2025, when he reached the quarter-finals. Should he win the Australian Open, he will become the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam.
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