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When Roger Federer announced his retirement from professional tennis last year, fans all over the globe were devastated – myself included. The man was and still is a legend of the game, even if we won’t ever see him compete for the biggest titles again. Adding to that, when he finished his final match with Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the building. This showed how much Roger Federer meant to players, fans, and practically everyone who followed Federer throughout his career.
And now, there is even more exciting news in the pipeline for a potential Roger Federer return to Wimbledon. No – he won’t be coming back to compete, just to put those rumours to bed immediately. Instead, it’s looking increasingly likely that he will be back at SW19 as a commentator. Needless to say, it would be awesome to have Federer’s involvement at Wimbledon in some capacity.
After all, this was the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s most successful tournament. So it would be somewhat fitting for Federer to make a return to the tournament, even if he won’t have to put on his Wimbledon whites this time. I for one am super excited about the prospect of Federer commentating at Wimbledon. And if he did take on such a position, he will be joining other legends of the game in his move into commentary.
However, how realistic is this looking right now? Let’s take a look.
Federer’s Possible Role as a 2023 Wimbledon Commentator
Contents
The news of Roger Federer possibly taking a role as a Wimbledon commentator broke a few months ago. But there has been more fuel added to the fire in recent times to give this possibility even more substance. Let me take you through a couple of recent changes and more right now.
Becker Not Allowed to Enter UK
As you are probably aware, Boris Becker has been in prison in the UK recently. But he was released and subsequently deported back to Germany around Christmas time. This was big news, naturally, yet it’s not common knowledge that Becker is not actually allowed to come back to the UK at the moment.
It is anticipated that this restriction will continue through the summer too, meaning that he will not be able to resume his commentary role for the BBC. So theoretically – there’s a job opening!
Negotiations With Wimbledon Broadcasters Ongoing
Although nothing concrete has been released publicly, Federer has been rumoured to be in talks with several official broadcasters for the Championships. This has since been confirmed, and Federer is in talks with both the BBC and ESPN for a commentary role. Of course, if he signs with the BBC, he would join other legends like McEnroe and Henman.
Then again, there’s always a chance he could sign with both, as other people have done in the past.
Ideal Persona to Be a Commentator
Besides the two elements mentioned above, it’s tough to think of a more suitable replacement for Becker. Federer is immensely popular with tennis fans, and he has the kind of personality that would suit commentary perfectly. He’s friendly, knowledgeable, and he is always game for a few laughs when the jokes start rolling in. So this alone would make him a perfect fit.
However, he needs to sign the dotted line for things to be made 100% official.
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