After his brutal straight sets defeat at the hands of Rafa Nadal in Friday's French Open semi-final, dozens of eager fans crammed around the door of a media centre hoping to catch a sight of the Swiss great speaking to reporters.
"This may be the last time we see him in Paris," said one, explaining why she was waiting outside a room instead of watching tennis still being played at Roland Garros.
But the holder of a record 20 men's Grand Slam singles titles gave cause for hope when he hinted he would return next year.
"I thought it was a great tournament. I really enjoyed it," Federer told reporters.
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"Crowd support couldn't have been better. Maybe one of the best ever in my entire 20-year career that I have been on tour at a slam.
"Them always being there for me, supporting me in practice, at the matches, on the grounds whenever I came and showed up, they were always happy to see me. So that was nice. You know, I think I surprised myself maybe how deep I got in this tournament and how well I actually was able to play throughout.
"And next year, just like with any other tournament, I don't know. We'll see what happens. But I definitely enjoyed the clay court season and the French Open, so that would help the chances, I guess, to return."
(Editing by Christian Radnedge)
