Roger Federer has returned intermittently to tennis following his retire from the sport in 2022.
The Swiss icon has graced the likes of the Australian Open and the US Open with his presence this year, by taking part in exhibition matches and practice sessions.
He was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame earlier this year, so he is more than involved in the sport he dominated for nearly two decades.
Most recently, Federer appeared at the Shanghai Masters and he was asked if he had any advice for coaches working with players of a young age.
Speaking to Chinese media while at the Shanghai Masters, Federer urged coaches and parents of rising tennis players to proceed with caution.
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“A child aged 10, 12, or 14 still has plenty of time. In Switzerland, I won the national titles in the under-12, under-14, and under-16 age groups, but I didn’t make progress internationally until I was 16 or 17,” said Federer.
“Sometimes growth comes later, and coaches and parents have to be patient.”
But would Federer ever return to tennis to become a coach for a player on the ATP or WTA Tour?
Not on a full-time basis currently, according to the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
However, Federer has said he would consider becoming a Laver Cup captain.
“I guess with Laver Cup down the road maybe the captain role is definitely something I could consider, for sure,” Federer said earlier this year.
“Coaching at the minute, no, just because I’m too busy, and kids need my undivided attention. Plus, I have too many projects. I love my time and my life with my wife, so I don’t want to change that at the minute, but never say never.”
The star used his former coach and legendary player, Stefan Edberg, as an example of why he could change his mind however.
“Stefan Edberg never thought he was going to coach, and then all of a sudden he got sucked into my world for two years. We had the best of times,” he explained.
“But after a year he did say, Roger, I got one more year in me. Yeah, I think getting back on the road and if you want to have an impact with a player, I feel like you probably need to put in at least 20 to 25 weeks.
“So all of a sudden — and then you have to be on stand-by in case, you know, the slams or some tournaments don’t go the way, so you want to help the player in the right possible way. So I feel like that’s a little bit — that’s a big maybe, let’s be honest.”
Federer set up the Laver Cup in 2017 and the likes of John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Yannick Noah have all taken up coaching roles for Team World and Team Europe.
