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Roger Federer: The Lord of the Gentlemen
Photo:
Ryan Pierse / ATP Tour / Getty Images
When is the right time to resign?
All athletes have to ask themselves this question at some point.
And the decision is often one of the most difficult in a career.
Especially with the biggest players in world sport, because they are often the ones that are the most tugged.
Boxer Muhammad Ali went in defeat.
Swimmer Michael Phelps came back after a break and finished his career with the 23rd Olympic gold medal.
Jaromír Jágr is still playing ice hockey at 49.
Valentino Rossi, 42, was still riding a motorcycle twelve years after his ninth world title and only resigned last weekend.
There have been rumors of resignation around Roger Federer for months.
The 40-year-old Swiss held back for a long time with assessments, but now Federer has commented on his situation and the chances of a comeback.
His message is: He wants to play tennis professionally again.
But there are a lot of doubts.
Special relationship with Wimbledon
“Doctors say I'll be able to jog easily again in January and gradually get back to the court. Softly, ”said Federer in an interview with the Tagesanzeiger. He has already played a little tennis with his children. “In March or April I can start again with tennis-like training, with lunges and more complex movements. And of course I have to build up the entire condition again, which is necessary for tennis at a very high level. "
So Federer will miss the Australian Open in January. He might even avoid the French Open (end of May 2022) in a healthy state, the red ashes of Paris and Federer - that was always more of an alliance of convenience. Quite different from Wimbledon. If the lawn in London was Boris Becker's living room, Federer claims the rest of the apartment for himself. Federer won Wimbledon eight times, four more times he was in the final, here he played his last match to date. Against Hubert Hurkacz, in the quarterfinals in 2021. He lost in three sets.
With Federer, every word resonates with the longing to be able to return to the tennis court again.
Wimbledon would be the highlight for him, where he could win the first of his 20 Grand Slam titles.
There, where his fame, his myth, his fairness to his opponents and his elegance have particularly shone.
In tennis, the sport of gentlemen, Federer is the master of all gentlemen.
Critics can't do that much with Federer's perfection, but he is one of the most popular athletes on the planet.
The public is now all the more fascinated to see how things will go on with him.
"The truth is, I would be incredibly surprised if I played at Wimbledon again," said Federer.
Skiing with the kids or playing soccer with friends
After his defeat by Hurkacz last summer, Federer had to undergo knee surgery again.
The meniscus on his right knee had to be sutured, and his cartilage was treated at the same time - and that is what makes the rehab process so tedious.
Cartilage damage is complicated and has already forced many athletes to say goodbye to competitive sports.
Federer had the operation done primarily »so that in the coming years and decades I would be able to ski with my children or play football or tennis with my friends.
My primary motivation was to get myself back in shape for my normal life. ”At the same time, he wanted to complete the rehab“ with the mentality and body of a top athlete ”.
He knows that the end is near, but ultimately it doesn't matter whether he returns in the coming season or not until 2023.
But is Federer correct?
Since winning his last tournament in Basel in October 2019, Federer has only played 23 matches.
And the competition is getting younger, better and in any case fitter.
Tennis is constantly evolving, and the level of competition at the top has increased in recent years.
Federer threatens unworthy first round defeats against insignificant opponents.
Perhaps a quarter-finals at Wimbledon would have been the right time to step down.
Federer wants to thank the fans
Federer, who has been working on his transformation into a businessman for years away from the tennis courts and seems equipped for the time after his career, sees it differently: »What kind of image will people remember of me?
My last set at Wimbledon last July?
Or my Grand Slam titles and what it did to them when they watched me play?
My guess is the latter. "
However, Federer does not seem to be completely sure.
Because elsewhere he says he takes all the trouble in rehab to “thank the fans.
You deserve better than the picture my lawn season left. "
Federer speaks of a very personal decision when it comes to resigning.
Still, the world will look closely.
