Roger Federer's interesting spring gig

Roger Federer is dabbling in many things now that he is retired. In addition to his business and philanthropic efforts, he has a new gig this spring that seemingly is unrelated to anything else he has ever done.

Instead of sliding around in the French Open clay and awaiting the Olympic team announcements, Federer will be the keynote speaker at Dartmouth's graduation on June 9, 2024. He will also receive an honorary degree for his worldwide humanitarian efforts.

His name will always be associated with tennis, and Dartmouth used that to its advantage while announcing that he was participating in the commencement activities.

Dartmouth makes a surprise Roger Federer announcement

The school issued a video teasing Federer's appearance with as many tennis metaphors and references as possible. There is even a phone conversation between the groundskeepers at Dartmouth and Wimbledon's famed All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. CNN's Jake Tapper, Dartmouth Class of 1991 makes a cameo announcing the breaking news.

Fans love to see Federer living his best life in retirement. He left the game behind on his terms and has not regretted his decision. Earlier this year, Federer visited Rafael Nadal at his tennis academy. We can only wonder what these two legends talked about as Nadal continues to deal with physical issues that prohibit him from leaving the game on his terms. The only thing better than being a fly on the wall for their conversation would be to watch them hit together at least one more time.

Federer occasionally picks up the racquet and videotapes his session. His one-handed backhand has been a topic of conversation recently as it appears to be going extinct among top-ranked male players on the ATP Tour. It remains a stroke of beauty.

Last year, there were rumors that Federer would work for the BBC during Wimbledon, but it never happened. If his schedule is free in July, perhaps this could be the year those rumors materialize. Tennis fans like to see legends of the game stay close. A recent example occurred at the Miami Open when Serena Williams was a fan in the stands watching matches and catching up with players.

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