Roger Federer and his son watch Swiss Super League football game featuring FC Basel
On Sunday, Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer attended the Swiss Super League game between FC Basel and St. Gallen. FC Basel is a football club that is very close to Federer's heart, given that he was born in Basel and spent a part of his childhood there.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was also accompanied by one of his sons in the stands on Sunday. However, it is unclear whether that was Leo or Lenny.
Roger Federer shared pictures of his visit to the game on his social media handles. FC Basel went down 0-1 to St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League match, with Elie Youan scoring in the 87th minute for St. Gallen.
Roger a Basel child remembers ❤️ ⚽️ #federer #fcbasel #basel https://t.co/Px4TQyFTtf
The 40-year-old also got the opportunity to meet Argentine footballer Matías Delgado and Swiss footballer Marco Streller, who have played for FC Basel in the past.
Great to see @FCBasel1893 legends ❤️💙 #matidelgado #marcostreller https://t.co/nRv2h4D5Mk
Roger Federer's return to the tour shrouded in uncertainty
Roger Federer has given no specific timeline for his return to the tour yet.
Federer's last tournament appearance came in July at Wimbledon - one of only five events he has played in since the 2020 Australian Open. Following his quarterfinal loss to Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, the Swiss announced he would need to undergo a third knee surgery which would prevent him from playing again in 2021.
After the surgery, Roger Federer was seen on crutches at the Laver Cup, a tournament that his company Team8 organizes. While the 40-year-old has been seen walking without crutches in more recent public appearances, no pictures of him from the practice courts have surfaced online - either from his own team or from others.
Amidst that background, it remains unclear if Federer would have recovered well enough to prepare for the Australian Open in mid-January, a Grand Slam that he has won six times in his career. The last time the Swiss won in Melbourne was in 2018, which is also the most recent Grand Slam title on his resume.
Despite his inactivity, Federer continues to remain in the top 20 of the world rankings. The ATP tour's pandemic-adjusted rankings system has enabled him to hold on to some of the points he earned in 2019, during which he reached the Wimbledon final.
That said, if Federer doesn't play a full schedule in 2022, it is likely that his ranking will tumble downward very swiftly and steeply.