Roger Federer has hinted on social media that he may reverse his retirement decision and make a stunning return to tennis.

The Swiss legend retired from the game in September 2022 with 20 Grand Slams and 103 ATP Tour titles to his name, cementing his status as one of the greatest players to have graced men’s tennis.

His collection of Majors has since been surpassed by Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (24), but Federer‘s elegant style and classy demeanour makes him a unique character in the modern game.

He is still adored by tennis fans everywhere he goes, and so when the eight-time Wimbledon champion loosely suggested he could be making a comeback, fans went into overdrive.

Federer tweeted three emojis – a “soon” signal, a Christmas tree, and a pair of eyes – which many saw as a sign that he was about to finish his 18-month vacation.

The Swiss icon has already declared that he “doesn’t want to go away” from tennis, but he has yet to confirm his future in the sport, merely attending events as an ambassador.

But Federer’s message on his official X account is the clearest indication that he may be returning to competitive action.

Will Federer return to tennis?

Federer had suffered from ailments at the conclusion of his career and decided to retire at the age of 41 following the Laver Cup, which provided an emotional farewell after accomplishing his dream of playing with his friendly rivals Nadal and Djokovic.

With that in mind, it seems unlikely the former world No 1 would have recovered from his long-standing knee issues and with Federer turning 43 in August, he would be nearly twice as old as some competitors.

Other theories have suggested he could join Djokovic‘s team after the Serbian split with his long-serving coach Goran Ivanisevic. But with a flurry of sport documentaries being released on Netflix and Amazon Prime, perhaps one dedicated to Federer‘s career is on the horizon.