Barely three months on from his retirement, tennis fans have been treated to a welcome sight after Roger Federer updated supporters that he was “back on the court.” The Swiss superstar brought the curtain down on a glittering 24-year career in September but always insisted he would “play more tennis in future.”
And Federer is living up to that vow after posting pictures from his most recent on-court expedition. The comeback wasn’t quite what many will have expected, however, given the 20-time Grand Slam champion came equipped with a different style of racquet.
Federer, 41, posted on social media that he was “excited to be back on the court with Severino” in a series of photos and videos. His return was strictly in the unofficial sense, however, as he participated in a friendly game of Padel doubles.
Padel is on the rise as a less pressurised format of the sport, usually played in pairs and in enclosed courts, like the one used by Federer and friends in his latest update. The alternative first originated in Acapulco, Mexico, in the late 1960s and is enjoying a surge in popularity after a string of pros have taken to promoting it in their past-times.
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