Roger Federer retired from tennis in 2022, but will make a sensational return to the sport in a celebrity doubles match at this year’s Shanghai Masters
Roger Federer has revealed he will be stepping back on the court at this year’s Shanghai Masters – after agreeing to take part in a celebrity doubles match.
The Swiss legend hung up his racket following the Laver Cup in 2022 as one of tennis’s most beloved figures and successful players, having claimed 20 Grand Slam crowns during his illustrious career.
At the age of 44, he will soon have the chance to prove to fans that he has still got it. Narrating a montage of his best moments in Shanghai, Federer informed supporters via a video posted on X that he will be in action for the Roger Federer and Friends Celebrity Doubles Match on October 10.
He declared: “Hello, this is Roger, and I am really happy to be returning to Qizhong Stadium in Shanghai for the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Shanghai has always been a special place for me with great fans, unforgettable memories, and a real love for the game.”
The tennis icon should feel at home in the Chinese metropolis considering his previous triumphs there. Since the ATP launched a Masters 1000 tournament there in 2009, only Novak Djokovic (four) and Andy Murray (three) have secured more titles than his tally of two victories. He nearly claimed a third crown in 2010, falling to Murray in the showpiece final.
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However, his championship wins in 2014 and 2017 will evoke cherished recollections for Federer.
Fitness problems marred his final playing years, but the maestro managed to bow out on his own terms almost three years ago at the Laver Cup – the competition he helped establish. Federer has largely retreated from the limelight, but made a notable appearance at Wimbledon this summer in the Royal Box, and earlier in the year at the French Open alongside Murray and Djokovic to honour Rafael Nadal’s Roland-Garros triumphs.
Federer expressed: “Farewells are important when you have his level, and he’s a giant of the game. If we can add a little something by being here with Novak and Andy, and we tie the knot all together, I think it’s a nice thing.
“I know it meant the world to me, that I had all my guys and my players around me when I retired. I think it’s also good for closure, and shows respect as well from me personally towards Rafa, his family and his team.”