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Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer has made it pretty clear that ending his retirement and returning to pro tennis "is not even a thought." Federer, who turned 42 in August, ended his astonishing tennis career after the 2022 Laver Cup in 2022 September.
This past week at the Shanghai Masters, Federer made a special guest appearance. In the last couple of years of his pro tennis career, Federer was mightily struggling with right knee issues. “It’s not even a thought (coming back).
I had a great time but I dive back in, I have come here to Shanghai and I feel really happy. I go with the flow and I like that no day is ever the same so it is great," Federer told ATP Media.
Federer on his last comeback not happening in 2022
After undergoing two knee surgeries in 2020, Federer returned to tennis the following year and appeared in just five tournaments before having his third knee surgery in 2021 August.
After the third knee surgery, Federer's plan was to return to tennis at some point in 2022. But Federer's knee just wasn't making the targeted progress and the former 20-time Grand Slam champion accepted that his one final comeback to tennis wouldn't happen.
Federer then retired by playing just one doubles match at the Laver Cup. "I didn’t have any plans per se as I was always trying to come back and then all of a sudden I realized that was it. And then I was just ‘okay, it is over, what now?’ I think now I feel I am more in control of my schedule as before I was just… the afterburn of having just retired, so it has been good, honestly.
“I have to be careful I don’t do too many things, but at the same time I’m really happy to be busy, I like being with other people, love being with my family, I love to travel. But I guess sometimes you just have to make sure to find the right balance and I feel like I have that, so it’s great," Federer explained.