Over the past few years, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev have played many memorable matches against each other. Many tennis pundits labeled Zverev as the next-gen star who will give the ‘Big Three’ a run for their money. The duo faced each other for the first time in 2016 at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome. The Swiss maestro won that match easily in straight sets. However, Zverev has come back strongly since then. Their head-to-head record now stands 4-3 in favor of the German.

Further, the friendship between them grew as the two spent quality time with each other on the tour. Zverev considered Federer as his role model when he was young. Recently, the 24-year-old has opened up on his relationship with Federer.

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Alexander Zverev talks about his friendship with Roger Federer

It has been over eight months since we last saw Federer in action. Speaking on the current status of his friendship with Federer, Zverev said, “We haven’t spent as much time together lately, and he’s not the type of guy that has a lot of phone contact. You need to be in-person to have a great relationship.”

He also added, “He was a role model when I was at a young age and just started being on tour. He’s somebody who likes to talk to young guys and give advice, which he did with me when I was 18, 19, 20; what it’s like to be on top in the rankings and how to handle media, how to handle sponsors, and all that. We had a lot of conversations at a younger age, and I think he helped me a lot in that regard.”

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Recently, the ATP announced further actions against Zverev for his Acapulco outburst. The German had smashed his racket in frustration at the chair of the umpire after his doubles encounter. The ATP announced that Zverev will face further fines and suspension for eight weeks. However, he is kept on probation until February 22, 2023. If he does not incur a further code violation in the probation period, both the fine and the suspension will be withheld.

Federer to make a return soon?

The Swiss maestro has been away from the action for more than eight months now. He last played at The Championships, Wimbledon in June-July last year. Subsequently, he underwent another surgery on his knee and has been in recovery mode since. Recently, he admitted to having a really good MRI a few weeks ago and being happy about it.

Federer hopes to be back with a light training session soon. He could potentially make a comeback in the middle or later this year. Can Federer make a strong return on the ATP Tour? Let us know your views in the comments below.