Roger Federer says he's 'thinking of turning pro' in new sport during university speech
Roger Federer addressed university students about his career after retiring from tennis.
Tennis legend Roger Federer has joked that he is tempted to return to the world of sport as a professional beer pong player.
The Swiss star retired at the Laver Cup in September 2022 after writing himself into tennis’ history books by winning 20 Grand Slams – a record which has since been beaten by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, and there was not a dry eye in the house when the curtain fell on his career.
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But the 42-year-old has turned his hand to a new type of sport, he has revealed.
Speaking on Commencement Day for the Class of 2024 at the Dartmouth University in the United States, Federer joked that he was in attendance to speak about beer pong rather than congratulating graduates.
He said: “There is another reason I’m here, and I can sum it up in two words: Beer pong. Or pong, as you call it. And I guess you can call it what you like—I’m told Dartmouth invented it!
“Now, this sport... Wait. Is pong a sport? Or is it a way of life? Either way, Dartmouth is the Wimbledon of pong. I’m glad I got to work on my shots with some of you. I’m actually thinking about turning pro.
“But I know there’s more to Dartmouth than pong. I have spent an amazing couple of days here, and you have made Hanover feel like home. The mountains here are exactly like the Swiss Alps. Just… shorter.”
Federer went on to speak about how he ‘graduated tennis’ recently, rather than retired, and that he does not have a clear plan for the next steps in his career – urging those in attendance to be comfortable with not knowing what the future can hold.
He continued: “I know what it’s like when people keep asking what your plan is for the rest of your life. They ask me: “Now that you are not a professional tennis player, what do you do?” I don’t know… and it’s OK not to know.
“So what do I do with my time? I’m a dad first, so, I guess, I drive my kids to school? Play chess online against strangers? Vacuum the house? No, in truth, I’m loving the life of a tennis graduate. I graduated tennis in 2022, and you are graduating college in 2024.”
