Roger Federer may be out of tennis but the Swiss icon confessed on Wednesday he often finds himself checking the scores of ATP matches.
The 41-year-old who retired last September due to knee problems, returned to the 500 event on grass in Halle, Germany, to celebrate the 30th edition of the pre-Wimbledon tournament.
Federer won the title 10 times, starting with his first in 2003 up through his last four years ago.
He was invited back for the day as a guest of honour by organisers, local industrialists the Weber family.
“I surprise myself with how often I check scores – maybe three times here day,” Federer told the ATP website,
“Sometimes I might miss a week being with the kids or travelling.
“But I’m really into it, there are some great matches going on. I try to watch the highlights, note the level of play.
“Tennis is really going up and up.”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was the first of the legendary Big 3 players to end his career, with injured Rafael Nadal soldiering on and Novak Djokovic leading the all-time standings with 23 Grand Slam singles titles after winning Roland Garros this month.
“This is my first time back to a tournament,” Federer said. “It feel strange – but in a good way.
“We are here to celebrate 30 years of this event. Hopefully when the body heals up and I’m ready I can play some exhibitions.
“But right now I’m happy away from the game, though I follow it closely.”
