Three years after stepping away from the roar of packed stadiums, Roger Federer remains a presence the tennis world just can’t let go of. The UTS London Grand Final at the Copper Box Arena with round-robin action, where the night’s biggest shock came in the final session, as Francisco Cerúndolo stunned Casper Ruud in a wild Sudden Death finish. And after pulling off the upset, Cerúndolo revealed his next wish.

He wants a shot at playing Roger Federer.

Just hours earlier, Cerúndolo was asked if there was a retired player he’d love to see compete in UTS, or face himself in the format, who would he choose to play against? The Argentine, fresh off his Hong Kong title seven weeks ago and still undefeated in UTS play, didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I would choose Roger Federer,” he said.

Francisco Cerúndolo explained that Roger Federer “is the only one from the big four that I didn’t have the chance to play.” He’s already played Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, which is why the idea of finally sharing the court with Federer excites him. As he put it, playing Roger “would be great,” even if the tennis coming back at him “is not funny.”

The reporter then playfully pointed out that in the UTS format, facing Federer “might be a bit easier without a first serve.” Cerúndolo, nicknamed The Silent Assassin by Frances Tiafoe, then laughed at the suggestion and admitted that it probably would help, saying he’d “have the chance to get more rallies with him,” which is exactly the kind of tennis he wants against a legend like Federer.

At 27, he’s known for his explosive groundstrokes and has shown flashes of high-level potential at the Grand Slams. His best run came at the Australian Open, where he reached the third round, while tough five-set and early-round exits at the other majors show he’s still building consistency at the biggest events.

This year, however, he put together a standout clay-court season, highlighted by his first Masters 1000 semifinal in Madrid. That run helped him finish the year ranked just ahead of rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca, who himself made waves by winning both the Argentina Open and Swiss Indoors.

And that brings everything back to the big question: would Roger Federer actually come out of retirement to play Cerúndolo? Players have returned before, and Federer’s name always sparks hope, but nothing is certain. However, as things stand, it looks like he might step on court again someday.

Roger Federer sparks buzz about a reunion

Last month, Roger Federer sat down with Tages Anzeiger and was asked whether he’d consider reuniting with Rafael Nadal for an exhibition tour. This time, he didn’t shut the idea down. He admitted that the project is still just a concept, but he can already imagine where it could go and why it might work.

The 44-year-old explained that doing exhibitions after retirement would give them more freedom and time, saying, “It would be great if it came to fruition.” He added that he could picture using the events for a good cause, mentioning the chance to “raise money for my foundation and inspire children.” While he made it clear nothing is officially in motion yet, he sees “some interesting ideas” taking shape.

The renewed excitement around the possibility didn’t appear out of thin air. During the Laver Cup in September 2025, Federer’s longtime agent Tony Godsick reopened the conversation about a post-retirement exhibition tour. Godsick admitted he’s been nudging Federer, saying, “Come on, people want to see you play again. You can do some senior exhibitions.”

Godsick also confirmed that Nadal is interested in the idea as well. He revealed, “We also talked with Rafa about the idea of putting together a tour and he is interested.” To expand the vision even further, he suggested adding other recently retired players from the same generation to make the events even bigger and more appealing.

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According to Godsick, “Some of the biggest names are players who have just retired, so we could probably fill some great stadiums.” So with both Federer and Nadal open to the idea (and the possibility of more icons joining in), the signs strongly suggest fans could get one more chance to see their rivalry shine.