It’s been a while since we’ve seen Roger Federer in action, with his quarter-final defeat to Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon earlier this year representing the most recent time the Swiss tennis legend has taken to the court. Further injury woes have knocked Federer back, and he has undergone knee surgery once again to try and get himself back up to fitness.
The road to recovery is set to be a long one, and Federer has said that taking part at Wimbledon next year would be a long shot, so don’t pick him when you bet on online sports just yet. It’s a sad thought that it will have been over a year out of the game by the time we see Federer grace another tournament, but it’s clear that he has no plans for retirement just yet.
“I would be extremely surprised if I could play Wimbledon,” the 40-year-old said. “I will be able to resume running quietly in January and resume sessions on the court with complex support in March or April. I therefore estimate my return to competition in the summer of 2022.
“My ambition is to see what I’m capable of one last time. I also wish I can say goodbye in my own way and on a tennis court. That’s why I give my all in my rehabilitation. My life is not going to collapse if I don’t play a Grand Slam final again. But it would be the ultimate dream to go back. And I still believe in it. I believe in these kinds of miracles.”
Federer’s resolve is admirable, and it’s clear that he loves the sport too much to allow his career to go out in a whimper, but it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to get right back to the top. Even before this latest bout of knee surgery, he was on the decline as far as Grand Slam finals are concerned.
His last appearance in a major final was the epic match with Novak Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon showpiece, which will have been three years ago by the time Federer returns to action next summer.
That said, if there’s one man who could win a Grand Slam at over 40 years of age it would be Federer. There is something timeless about his talent, and it has stood up strongly against the new age of power serves and physicality in modern tennis. The pure talent Federer possesses is a match for anyone when he’s on top form, the only question is whether or not this latest absence will have an effect on his ability to produce his best.
With Rafael Nadal also struggling with injuries, along with Andy Murray’s similar decline, it’s beginning to feel like this is the end of the road for the ‘big four’ of tennis as we once knew them. Federer will forever be heralded as the most talented player to ever pick up a tennis racket, and it’s a shame that injuries have prevented him from enjoying a successful end to his career as far as titles are concerned.
There is still time for him to enjoy one last moment in the sun, and when he does eventually return to action he’ll be doing his level best to get his hands on one last Grand Slam title. You can bet that he’ll have tennis fans all over the world behind him.