{"id":296086,"date":"2023-10-13T19:23:28","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T19:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=296086"},"modified":"2023-10-13T19:23:28","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T19:23:28","slug":"federer-hugged-by-lion-mascot-and-addresses-return-during-shangai-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/tennis\/federer-hugged-by-lion-mascot-and-addresses-return-during-shangai-ceremony\/","title":{"rendered":"Federer hugged by lion mascot and addresses return during Shangai ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Roger Federer returned to the Shanghai Masters on Friday for a special ceremony as he was named the “icon athlete” of the tournament. The retired tennis legend watched old match clips and answered some fan questions during a presentation that also saw a strange moment where Federer had an encounter with a lion mascot.<\/p>\n

The Shanghai Masters is being staged for the first time since Federer’s retirement after taking a four-year hiatus. The Swiss star reached the quarter-final last time the tournament was played in 2019 and he was back this time around to be honoured during an on-court ceremony on day 10 of the event.<\/p>\n

The tournament director presented the two-time former champion with presents before Federer reflected on some of his past matches in Shanghai. The 42-year-old then took part in a Q&A with tennis legend Li Na and rising star Zhizhen Zhang coming onto the court to ask Federer the questions that had been submitted by fans.<\/p>\n

Federer was asked a big one – whether he was ever tempted to return to the tennis tour. It prompted some cheers from the fans who hoped to see him back on a court. But the 20-time Major winner quickly shut down any suggestions of a comeback.<\/p>\n

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“I\u2019m extremely happily retired like Na Li,” Federer smiled. “For me, there\u2019s no coming back. I had an absolute blast on the tour. I feel like I took the lemon and I squeezed it out until the last drop. I gave it all I had and there\u2019s none left and now I’m just a super tennis fan like all of you.”<\/p>\n

But the former world No 1 didn’t rule out a return in a different way as he shared his hopes of embarking on an exhibition tour later on in his retirement. He continued: “But what a journey it\u2019s been and it took me here to the most incredible places on the planet to play tennis and it\u2019s been incredible. Of course, I miss those moments but now another chapter has begun and the last year has been terrific.<\/p>\n

“Unfortunately less tennis [but] more tennis with the children. But I hope that down the road maybe I can play an exhibition match back here in China, here in Shanghai even, and around the world so I can play in front of all of you again.”<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Federer revealed that he was still getting out on the court with his four children, who recently attended tennis academies over the summer. “I play a lot with my children but the problem is that I am still the dad and that creates the problem,” he laughed.<\/p>\n

“So if I was the former super player and not the dad that would be easier but as the dad there is an emotional twist, highly complicated.” And it appears that the 103-time title winner is enjoying lift after professional tennis. “I mean change has been great,” he explained.<\/p>\n

“Just having a life where I can dictate much more where I\u2019m going to go, what I’m going to do. Meet up with friends and family and just also thinking a little bit more further ahead than just the next tournament, the next practice and so forth. I feel like life in a way is much more simple.”<\/p>\n

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