Tennis news - Roger Federer hopes to take part in Olympics, no plans for imminent retirement
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Updated 21/05/2021 at 08:35 GMT
Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer has said that he is not yet planning to retire from the sport, something he calls his 'second family'. The former world number one explained that he wants his decision to be made after seeing how his family and knee hold up when he gets back to the normal routine of tennis, and hopes to take part in this summer's Olympics.
Roger Federer
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Former world number one Roger Federer hopes to compete at the Tokyo Olympic games, and has said he has no plans for retirement yet.
Federer was talking to Tennis Majors as he prepares to take part at this year’s Geneva Open.
The 39-year-old Swiss acknowledged that last year’s ranking system had helped him, taking into account the impact of the coronavirus on players’ ability and willingness to take part in events around the world.
“The only help I might have had is the ranking,” he explained.
“I should be 800th because I didn’t play. I’m still Top 8. Okay, that’s good for being seeded. But it doesn’t change anything for me: if my knee isn’t 100 percent, if I’m not 100 percent physically, I know I won’t be good enough. But I know that if I’m 100 percent, I’m far better than 800th. Let’s see how the two next months will happen. Happy to see that [coronavirus protocols] will start to relax again this week in Geneva.””
Federer hopes to take part in this year’s Olympics, postponed from their original date in 2020, but is aware that there is disquiet in Japan about the games going ahead.
“We barely hear about them at the moment,” he said.
They should happen. I heard that a lot of people were against the games in Tokyo.
“Two percent of the Japanese population seem vaccinated,” he said. “I’m between two schools. I would be so happy to play and win a medal for Switzerland. But if it can’t happen because of the situation, I will be the first to understand it. I think that sportsmen need a decision. Now, we feel that it’s going to happen. But it’s not settled. And as an athlete, if you feel that people resist, it might be better not to go. I don’t know.”
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Federer is not entertaining the notion of retiring yet, despite his age.
“Tennis still brings passion and pleasure to me,” he confirmed.
“Tennis missed me. Tournaments direction, fans, media, they are my second family. It’s difficult to leave that.
“The knee and the family will drive that. The idea is to come back, see at what level, and then see how I can handle stress and everything. No plan at the moment.”
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