Reason why Roger Federer hasn’t played a single exhibition yet

Roger Federer is in Berlin this weekend to broadcast live the 2024 edition of the Laver cupwhich takes place on the Uber ArenaThe 20-time Grand Slam champion – who played the final match of his legendary career at London’s O2 Arena two years ago – enjoys time with his family and is involved in many projects with his numerous sponsors.

The former world number 1 has tried his best to return to the ATP tour, but a serious knee injury has affected the last period of his career. After several operations between 2020 and 2021, the Swiss Maestro has accepted reality and has started his second life after tennis.

King Roger has repeatedly said that he has no regrets and that he has given his all to the sport. Fans hoped that Federer would arrange a few exhibition matches with his great rivals, but that has not happened so far. The feeling is that his knee is not yet completely healthy and that the former Swiss champion wants to wait a little longer. The King occasionally appears in tour tournaments and has been present at both Wimbledon and the US Open, testifying to his immense love for tennis.

Tony Godsick on Federer

Although his career ended in 2022, Federer remains beloved worldwide and fans are eager to see him play, at least in a practice match. Speaking to MARCA at the 2024 Laver Cup, Tony Godsick opened up about Roger’s potential return to the field: “Since Roger retired, he doesn’t want to play a game until he feels physically fit. Think about the record crowd they broke in South Africa. We like to do great things. If there is ever a chance to break that record, I’m sure Roger will consider it. They both enjoy working together and I enjoy working with Carlos Costa (Editor: Rafael Nadal’s agent). I have very good memories of it.” The former world number 1 had also invited Rafa Nadal for this edition of the Laver Cup, but the Spanish champion withdrew a few days before the event because he still did not feel competitive.

In a lengthy interview at the Laver Cup, Federer reflected on the new direction of tennis: “Boys and girls are going to hit stronger forehands and backhands and they’re going to be less afraid because they realize the rewards are there. The best movers are the best players, and it shows. The mentally sharper, physically stronger, faster players are the best players. It’s not so much about technique anymore. I’ve been cheated enough in the last 10, 15, 20 years to think, ‘I’m not sure about this technique,’ but with racket technology and string technology, you can solve those problemsand as long as you hit the ball hard and well, anything is possible in tennis.”

He also added: “The game is where it was, but just a step higher. I always feel like it keeps improving. Maybe it’s just a lack of variety, but that’s because nowadays we have all players with two-handed backhands (on the backhand side) and we don’t use as much slice. Of course, we don’t see as many drop shots either. Alcaraz and Medvedev are trying to add it to their game, which I think is a great move, but you have to train a lot on transition play. In general, I still enjoy watching tennis, and it will always have a safe place, because tennis is a beautiful sport”.

The future of tennis

Carlos Alcaraz And Jannik Sinner seem to be the right players with the right weapons to take over the Big 3 in the next 10-15 years. The Spanish ace and the Italian ace have split the four Grand Slam tournaments played this year and have played some epic matches in recent years.

The Swiss legend also gave the young talents advice: “If I had to give advice to juniors, it would be that you are 50 percent that coach. Yes, you’re going to have your people, your parents, your coach. They’re all going to tell you what to do. But at some point, you’re going to be on the court by yourself and you’re going to have to remember what you think is right because only you know that maybe your knee hurts or your mind is moving too much or your forehand isn’t working.

So you have to figure it out for yourself. No one else can figure it out for you at that moment. I did that well growing up. I knew I had to take responsibility. It’s your fault if you win and your fault if you lose. Juniors often like to blame someone or something, but no, it’s up to you. Don’t blame anyone.”