Roger Federer enjoyed a legendary tennis career that saw him win 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
The Swiss star debuted on the ATP Tour in 1998, winning his first career title three years later at the Milan Indoor tournament.
His first taste of Grand Slam success came at Wimbledon in 2003, as he took down Australia’s Mark Philippoussis in the final.
Over the next 15 years, Federer added 19 more Grand Slam titles to his trophy cabinet, winning his last on Rod Laver Arena in 2018.
Federer retired from tennis upon the conclusion of the 2022 Laver Cup tournament, having struggled with injuries for several years.
One of Federer’s biggest rivals now reveals the extent of his injuries, which he hid from fans during the latter stages of his career.
Andy Roddick says Roger Federer was ‘on crutches’ at the 2021 Laver Cup and hid them
Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, former world number one Andy Roddick explained just how bad Federer’s injuries were.
“I don’t think people fully understand how bad his knee was, and how many times the surgery didn’t go as planned,” he said.
“Not even to play tennis, but even doubles, when he finished Laver Cup, that was really dicey.
“When I saw him at the Laver Cup in ‘21, he was on crutches and hiding them for photos.
“His knee was very bad.”
Federer didn’t play another tournament after 2021, only returning to the court for one final doubles match at the Laver Cup in 2022.
Playing alongside his long-time rival Rafael Nadal, Federer took to the court in London, taking on the American duo of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
The legendary duo started strongly, taking the first set, 6-4, as they looked to secure a big win for Team Europe.
Sock and Tiafoe bounced back strongly in the second, dominating the tiebreaker 7-2.
With the match heading to a ten-point tiebreaker, the tension was palpable in the O2 Arena for Federer’s final appearance.
In a thriller, Sock and Tiafoe beat Nadal and Federer, 4-6, 7-6, [11-9] bringing the 20-time Major champions’ career to an end.
Recent rumors of Federer returning to tennis for exhibition events have excited fans, as they could well see the legend perform once more.
Andy Roddick thinks Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could sell 100,000 tickets for an exhibition match
Roddick was excited about the prospect of Federer playing exhibition events, and explained how the format could highlight his immense talent.
“I know that he’s always wanted to do a bigger goodbye. It sounds like maybe now the knee is healthy enough where he could probably entertain it,” he said.
“I can’t imagine, I mean I know the shots he was able to hit when the chips were down, imagine if it was just an open canvas and a paintbrush and he could mess around and there’s no real consequence.
“That would be amazing to watch.”
The American then explored what a Federer ‘farewell tour’ could look like.
“I’m guessing you want to hit different markets, so I’m guessing he wants to see South America, Basel, somewhere in London, the places where he’s created the most memories,” said Roddick.
“Madison Square Garden, I’m sure he’s going to hit all of these massive arenas.
“Then can you convince Rafa [Nadal] to come where you sell out 100,000 people somewhere, where you’re saying goodbye to them simultaneously, I don’t know.
“What I do know is that this is fantastic.
“I think that run from post-US Open through Australia, he could shift a little bit of tennis interest, I think.”
Only time will tell if we will see Federer return to action in the future, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye out for.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
