Roger Federer just proved he’s still got it. The 44-year-old tennis legend crushed Casper Ruud 7-2 in a tiebreak exhibition at the Australian Open, and honestly? It wasn’t even close.
It’s been over three years since Federer hung up his racket at the 2022 Laver Cup. His knee just couldn’t take it anymore.
He tried for months to come back before finally accepting it was time to call it quits on his professional career.
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Since then, Federer hasn’t played much tennis at all. But a few months ago, he mentioned wanting to get back on court more often. He even hinted at possible exhibitions with his old rival Rafael Nadal.
Back Where It All Started
The six-time Australian Open champion returned to Melbourne for what was supposed to be a fun little exhibition. On paper, the current world No. 13 Ruud should’ve had this in the bag against a guy who’s been retired for three years.
That’s not how it went down.
Federer started by hitting a forehand into the net. Then something clicked. The Swiss maestro turned back the clock and absolutely bamboozled Ruud with the kind of shot-making that made him a legend.
The highlights were pretty amazing. Federer approached the net with his backhand, then put away a smash like he was 25 again. Later, he hit this delightful short backhand slice that had Ruud scrambling just to get to the ball – only for Federer to nail a passing shot winner.
Sure, Ruud could’ve played better. He hit a double fault at one point and looked a bit overwhelmed at times.
But Federer’s level? More than three years after retirement, it was superb. You could see that incredible natural flair that made him special.
Rather than being embarrassed by losing to a retired player, Ruud was thrilled just to share the court with him. He posted on Instagram afterward: "Best practice partner in a while."
Between this moment and an amateur winning $1 million in the 1-point Slam, fans who showed up during opening week got treated to some pretty wild surprises. Here’s hoping the main draw delivers just as many compelling storylines.
The Coaching Question Everyone’s Asking
What About Alcaraz?
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander recently suggested that Roger Federer would be the perfect coach for Carlos Alcaraz. This came just weeks after the Spaniard’s surprising split from his long-time mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero.
When reporters asked Federer directly about the possibility, he shut it down pretty quickly.
He’s willing to offer the current world No. 1 advice from the outside if Alcaraz wants it. But that’s as far as the Swiss legend is willing to go.
Right now, Federer’s focus is on his four kids and other projects. Despite being retired, the eight-time Wimbledon champion keeps himself pretty busy. Between being a dad and everything else on his calendar, he’s got his hands full.
It’s probably for the best anyway. Andy Murray tried coaching Novak Djokovic earlier this year, and they parted ways after just a few months. Murray later admitted coaching was way tougher than he expected – and he didn’t really enjoy it much.
Some legends are better off staying legends.
