Roger Federer at Wimbledon Central Court centenary celebration. AFP / Adrian Dennis.
“I hope I can play here again”. This was the sentence Roger Federer delivered at the Central Court’s 100th anniversary celebration ceremony Wimbledon which has thrilled all tennis lovers.
Is that the Swiss, close to turning 41 and suffering from a right knee injury from which he is still trying to recover, hasn’t officially played for a year and its continuity in the circuit became a real unknown. But with those words he brought a certain calm in front of an audience that gave him an unforgettable ovation.
Djokovic and Federer exchange a few words during the centenary celebration of the Wimbledon Central Court. AP / Kirsty Wigglesworth.
However, in the early hours of this Monday, an interview was broadcast that Elveziano granted to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad and his statements fell like a bucket of cold water.
“I love to win, but if you are no longer competitive it is better to stop. I don’t think I need tennis, I’m happy with the little things, like when my children get a good grade in school ”, he began by recounting.
Then he added: “Tennis is part of my life, but not my whole identity. I want to continue to be successful, put all my energy into business. I know a professional career can’t last forever and that’s okay, I accept that. “
Federer’s latest image on a tennis court: Wimbledon 2021 quarter-finals vs. Hurkacz. AP / Kirsty Wigglesworth.
Beyond the fact that the injury forced him to stay away from the fields for a year and did not allow him to play at Wimbledon, which he himself called “a strange feeling because they have been there since 1998”, the eight times The champion from all of England offers a complete view of life.
“I managed to organize myself in another way. Many friends always came to visit me, now I could visit them. The tennis trip is sometimes excessive, especially if it has to be organized with children. It’s nice to take a break from all of this, ”said the 20-time Grand Slam winner.
“I am very happy at home. It is a great advantage to be able to make a schedule for a Tuesday morning in three weeks, for example. Before I could not. We all miss traveling, but life at home is also beautiful. “He added.
Federer, with two short-term goals and an uncertain future
This Monday, after the Wimbledon championship ended and the points of the 2021 edition, in which the Swiss had reached the quarter-finals, were lost, his disappearance from the standings took place. A shock, since he has appeared in the official ATP records since September 22, 1997. 9058 days have passed.
He will be back on the circuit. That’s for sure. First of all, at the end of September for the fifth edition of Laver cupwhich this year will be held at the O2 Arena in London, and will subsequently take part in the Basel ATP 500 in front of an audience in his hometown, where he played 15 finals and won 10 titles.
There is no confirmation of any kind as to what will happen next, whether or not he will play the US Open, but recent statements leave his continuity under a cloak of doubt. You will have to see how your body responds to the question that proposes the return to competition and, from there, make a decision about it.
Source: Clarin
