Roger Federer: 'You don't want to ask that question, you know I get furious'

At 39, Roger Federer is still eager to compete on a high level and fight for trophies, despite having achieved almost everything in our sport. The coronavirus pandemic has turned the tennis season upside down, with no action between March and August and a much different calendar from what we are used to having. The reduced 2020 season saw three Majors and three Masters 1000 events, with the crowd favorite Roger Federer playing only the first of those in Melbourne in January. The 20-time Major champion has endured the shortest season of his entire career, playing only the Australian Open and undergoing two knee surgeries in February and May. Spending time at home in Switzerland with his family, Roger had to start all over when he recovered from the second surgery, hitting the gym and working on his fitness, feeling no pain in his knee. Two weeks ago, the Swiss returned to the tennis court, embracing short practice runs and increasing the pace of his training for weekly improvements.

Eager to make a return in January 2021, Federer has been working hard on his game, looking determined to make another push in the season when he turns 40 and not thinking about retirement anytime soon. Federer said he still wants to compete against the world's leading players and chase notable trophies, not stepping away and fighting for his comeback. Roger claimed four ATP titles in 2019 to finish inside the top-3 behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, leaving much younger opponents behind him. At the Australian Open, Roger had to battle hard against John Millman and Tennys Sandgren to reach the semi-final this January.

Roger Federer doesn't think about retirement, working hard on his comeback.

Struggling with a groin injury, Federer saved no less than seven match points against Sandgren in the quarter-final's fourth set, prevailing in the decider but having nothing more left in the tank! In the semis, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger in straight sets, in the final official match of the season for the Basel native. After the record-breaking Cape Town meeting with Rafael Nadal, Federer underwent knee surgery in February, planning to return in June for Halle and Wimbledon on his beloved grass. Roger failed to diminish the pain and underwent another surgery in May, skipping the rest of the season and getting ready for 2021. Federer is still ranked in the top-4 thanks to the 2019 points, taking a favorable starting position ahead of the new season's first challenges in a couple of months.

"You don't want to ask that question; you know I get furious, upset and angry. No, I'm joking. I feel like maybe there's a little bit more left in me. And if not, that's it too. I'm not stepping away from the game right now. Nothing has changed; I'm still fighting for my comeback. I want to be back on the tennis court. I would love to play against all the legends of the game and the best players," Roger Federer said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3k0IDwd