Roger Federer is one of those names that needs no introduction. The Swiss maestro bowed out of professional tennis in 2022, but even in retirement, his shadow still dances on courts worldwide. His final act came at the Laver Cup, where he teamed up with Rafael Nadal, his biggest rival, for a farewell that had even the toughest fans wiping their eyes. Since then, the 43-year-old has enjoyed retirement. Beaches, golf, family time—you name it. But as it turns out, Federer can’t stay away from tennis for too long. And one of his ex-rivals is buzzing about his return.

Federer is ready to pick up a racquet again. No, it’s not a full-on return to professional tennis. But the 43-year-old icon is eyeing exhibition matches and wants to start practicing two to three times a week. He recently told TNT Sports, “Honestly, I’d love to play some more tennis again. Enough with the golf already for a moment now, I’ve played so much. But no seriously, I’d love to start playing like two-three times a week again and hopefully, get myself back on an exhibition court. Maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world.”

“I’ve no plans yet but I know that the training part, I miss it a little bit to be honest because I haven’t played a whole lot since I retired. Just because I think my body needed a little break and maybe my mind also a little bit. I’ve played with my kids, you know but I’d really love to practice a little bit for myself as well. So I’ll do that as I keep on travelling and hopefully you’ll get to see me in an exhibition soon,” he added further.

Now, hold on—before we all book our tickets, Federer hasn’t finalized any events or locked in a venue. But just that quote is enough to set off excitement across the tennis world. One man who’s been paying close attention is Andy Roddick.

On Tuesday’s episode of his Served podcast, the American reflected on Federer’s painful final years on tour and how tough his comeback road had been. “I don’t think people really, fully understand how bad his knee was and how many times a surgery didn’t go as planned,” Roddick began explaining.

“Like not not even just to play tennis, but even when he played doubles to finish Laver Cup, that was really dicey. Like when I saw him at Laver Cup in 21 and people were like, oh, he’s going to come back, and he was on crutches and he was hiding them for like photo ops.”

That knee? It’s been through a lot. Back in 2020, Federer had not one, but two surgeries on his right knee within months. First, in February. Then again, in June. Both wiped out his 2020 season. He did try to return in 2021, but barely made it past Wimbledon. After that, he quietly admitted defeat. “I stopped believing,” Federer said, when talking about his ability to return to top form.

Roddick believes this potential comeback—whatever shape it takes—might be Federer finally giving fans a proper goodbye.

“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 think people want to be able to say goodbye to him. I can’t imagine. I mean, I know the shots that he was able to hit when the chips were down, as far as that would make you go ooh and ah. Imagine if, you know, it was just an open canvas and a paintbrush and he could mess around and there was no real consequence. That’d be amazing to watch.”

Fun fact: The tennis rivalry between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick was heavily skewed in Federer’s favor, with the Swiss star winning 21 of their 24 matches. Notably, Federer defeated Roddick in all four of his Grand Slam final appearances. However, their 2009 Wimbledon final stands out as a legendary contest, renowned for its dramatic five sets and a particularly grueling 30-game final set.

The canvas might be blank right now, but Federer’s already sketching out his next steps.

Roger Federer takes the court to surprise wheelchair tennis players

Recently, during a break from vacationing in Monte Carlo, Roger Federer surprised a group of wheelchair tennis players at an event hosted by ON. He walked onto the court, and jaws dropped instantly. Giuliano Carnovali, one of the players, was one of many who couldn’t believe their eyes. “We were out there playing tennis when suddenly Roger walks onto the court. His Aura is Insane. I completely freaked out,” he wrote on Instagram.

The Swiss legend hit with nearly 10 players on each court, spending at least 20 minutes per group. Carnovali shared how Federer made time for everyone: “He was the nicest guy. He said hi to everyone, shook hands, took pictures, and then started feeding balls like a tennis coach. He made time for every single one of us, hitting with about 10 people on our court for at least 20 minutes. And he did the same on maybe six different courts. It was incredible to see how humble, friendly, and truly authentic he is. They always say ‘never meet your idols, you’ll be disappointed.’ But this was the complete opposite. It was more than I ever imagined. I’m still shaking. I’m thrilled.”

So Federer’s racquet is no longer collecting dust. And while we don’t know where or when he’ll pop up next, one thing’s for sure—he’s not done creating memories. Where would you like to see Federer play first? Let us know in the comments below.