It has been over two years since Roger Federer last played a singles match, and nearly a year since he announced his retirement from the sport. While the last few months have been a celebration of Federer’s career and achievements, his fans and followers of tennis all have the same question: what’s next for the Swiss great?
Federer is one of the most beloved figures in the history of the sport, and continues to make public appearances around the tennis world. He was present in the first week of the recently-concluded Wimbledon and watched his close friend and rival Andy Murray play on Centre Court, as well as having a hit with the Princess of Wales and some Wimbledon ballkids prior to that.
However, there isn’t much indication of whether Federer is seeking a return to the tennis world in a more permanent role, whether as a commentator or a coach. Nevertheless, one individual close to him has his own perspective on Federer’s future, and admitted that he didn’t envision coaching as being on the table.
Federer’s countryman and former coach Ivan Ljubicic spoke to Tages-Anzeiger regarding his relationship with the Swiss master, and what the future might hold for him.
“I can’t imagine Roger Federer being a coach,” said Ljubicic. “I see him more as a mentor. He loves to help, but I don’t see him wanting to make the commitment that being a coach requires. He likes to do many things.”
Federer played his last tournament at Wimbledon in 2021, but returned for a farewell tournament at the Laver Cup in London in 2022, where he played doubles alongside Rafael Nadal in the final match of his career. After a 24-year professional career, the Swiss thought it was the right time to call time on a career that glittered with silverware.
Federer recently spoke about how he enjoys helping his children — a set of twin girls and a younger set of twin boys — learn and appreciate tennis, acting like a coach towards them, but felt it was more important for him at this moment to spend time with his family after many long years spent touring the world for his career.
Federer has spoken about enjoying life as a tennis fan, with the difficult transition into retirement being made more comfortable by the gradual slowing down of his career due to his knee injuries as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, for the time being, he seems happy to remain nothing more than a fan, limiting himself to working towards his Foundation and spending precious time with his family before moving on to the next phase of his life.
Leave feedback about this