What Roger Federer has been up to this month: From Rafael Nadal retirement to catching Novak Djokovic in action with Carlos Alcaraz for company

Since his retirement in 2022, Roger Federer has often been spotted at tennis events, making his presence felt among his fans—other than that the Swiss Maestro has mostly been engaged in various types of promotional work.

This month saw the tennis world go through massive news in the form of Rafael Nadal's retirement from the sport. Federer penned a short and emotional message for his longtime rival, celebrating the Spaniard's success and thanking him for the immortal memories that the two players have shared on the court.

"What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,”..Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour" said Federer. (via Sportstar)

The rivalry between Federer and Nadal started at the 2004 Miami Open and ended with a semifinal bout at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. Overall the dup contested against each other 40 times, with head-to-head record being in favor of the Spaniard, 24-16.

The pair contested the 9 Grand Slam Finals between them, with Nadal winning six of them. The 2008 Wimbledon final between the duo has been touted as one of the greatest matches ever played on the Tour by pundits and fans alike.

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Federer was allegedly snubbed at this year's Swiss Indoors in Basel

The Swiss Indoors event in Basel is Federer's hometown event. The Swiss legend started his illustrious tennis career at this event as a ballboy. However, in the 2024 edition of the event, there was a visible lack of promotional material featuring the former World No.1.

If speculations are to be believed, the cause of this supposed snubbing stems from a 2012 dispute between Federer and tournament organizer Roger Brennwald, as both parties disagreed over the Swiss player's appearance fees.

On the court, the Swiss Indoors has been one of the most successful events in Federer's career. The hometown hero reached the finals for the first time, in 2000 losing to Thomas Enqvist. Federer won the title in Basel for a record 10 times, with the 2019 title being his last ATP Tour title, where he defeated Alex de Minaur in the final.

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Federer was spotted at the Shanghai Masters final with Carlos Alcaraz

Roger Federer 2024 Shanghai Rolex Masters - (Getty)

Roger Federer was spotted at the 2024 Shanghai Masters. The Swiss legend played an exhibition match and then later attended the men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. The Swiss player was seen enjoying the final in the company of Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard also participated in the event but lost to Tomas Machac in the quarterfinal.

Sinner won the final, 7-6, 6-4, further extending his dominance on the Tour. In the trophy presentation ceremony, both Djokovic and Sinner acknowledged the presence of the Swiss legend in the stands.

During his playing days, Federer won the title in Shanghai twice, the last of which came in 2017. The Swiss defeated Rafael Nadal, in a one-sided contest, winning 6-4, 6-3 in the final.