Roger Federer admits lying as icon shares stance on returning to tennis to coach | Tennis | Sport
Roger Federer is back at the Australian Open, where he will play an exhibition doubles match (Image: Getty)
Roger Federer is back at Melbourne Park, six years after his last Australian Open appearance. The 20-time Grand Slam champion lost in the semi-finals in 2020 and went on to have three knee surgeries, ultimately ending his career at the 2022 Laver Cup, so he never got to say a proper goodbye Down Under. But the Swiss star will be back on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night to play an exhibition doubles match in the tournament’s first-ever Opening Ceremony.
Federer has made only a few appearances at tennis events since retiring more than three years ago. The former world No. 1 is often seen at the Laver Cup and the Shanghai Masters, but this will be his first proper exhibition match, playing alongside Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter.
The 44-year-old might be back at a tournament, but he’s still loving life in retirement, and has ruled out becoming a coach – at least for now. “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,” Federer smiled.
The end of Federer’s career was marred by injuries and surgeries. After the 2020 Australian Open, he had two operations and didn’t play again until March 2021. Federer competed in just five tournaments – Doha, Geneva, the French Open, Halle and Wimbledon – before taking another break and undergoing his third knee operation.
Ahead of the 2022 Laver Cup, the 103-time title winner announced his retirement and played his final match in doubles alongside Rafael Nadal. And Federer has since found the adjustment to his post-playing life very easy – especially after “lying” about his condition for the last couple of years of his career.
“Much easier. I mean, I think it’s also just the way my end unfolded with injuries, playing less and less and less. I got a sense of how it maybe is going to be, how is it going to be at home, how is it going to be without any matches, any practice sessions, is that going to feed the next tournament, so forth,” the six-time Aussie Open winner said.
Roger Federer opened up on life in retirement and admitted he didn’t want to coach (Image: Getty)
“I think I was kind of super ready for retirement. So when it happened, it was more just a relief for me to not having to wonder when I’m going to retire, how am I going to retire, how is it going to feel. Actually, I don’t have to play along with the media, not tell lies, ‘How do you feel?’ ‘I feel great.’ Oh my God, I feel terrible.
“My parents calling me and saying, ‘When are you going to announce it? Your godfather is asking me how you feel. I know how you feel. Can I tell him. It might leak.’ I’m like, ‘Geez.’
These things, you’re just happy when it’s all sorted out. Life has been great, to be honest. I’ve been getting used to retirement. In the first six months, nine months, because we still had a lot of plans that were still there because I didn’t know I was going to retire in that particular moment at the Laver Cup sort of three months earlier.
“I think especially two years now I feel like I’m very much in control of my schedule. Having a great time with the children, with Mirka. We’re loving it. It’s been great fun.”
Federer still watches tennis, and after forming some of the most exciting rivalries in tennis with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, he’s loving watching Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battle it out on the biggest stages.
“The rivalry with Alcaraz and Sinner is a great one. They play incredible tennis. I think that French Open final was unreal. I think the game, not that it needed it, but it was great that we had it,” he explained.
“I feel like for a second, for a moment, the world stood still in the sporting world and watched towards Paris, what was going on in that epic fifth set because it could have ended much, much sooner obviously for Jannik. Then all of a sudden it ended up in this most crazy fashion. Maybe one of the greatest games we’ve ever had in our sport. It’s good we still live off that momentum. Then they backed it up by playing against each other in all those other finals.
“Everybody is trying to keep up and they’re trying to pull away. What we’ve seen in terms of their progression in the last years, it’s been wonderful. I practised with those guys a little bit. They’re incredible ball strikers. There’s obviously more to come. I just hope they stay injury-free, obviously.”
