Dick Hordorff: 'Roger Federer changed the ranking system to protect himself'

Roger Federer will finish the season in the top-5 despite playing only one tournament in 2020. The Swiss maestro will have a perfect comeback position when he returns to the court in February next year, keeping his points from 2019 and staying in front of many players who performed on a high level in 2020. Dick Hordorff, the Vice President of the German Tennis Federation, believes it is wrong to see Roger ranked that high after playing only six matches in the entire season, saying that Roger used his influence to change the ranking system during the coronavirus pandemic and keep himself at the top. The 20-time Major champion endured the shortest season of his career, playing only the Australian Open and undergoing two knee surgeries in February and May. Eager to make a fresh start in 2021, Federer has been working hard on his game in recent months, hoping to get back at 100% and chase big titles again.

Roger claimed four ATP titles in 2019 and finished inside the top-3 behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, opening the 2020 season at the Australian Open. Struggling with a groin injury, Federer had to save seven match points against Tennys Sandgren in the quarter-final's fourth set, prevailing in the decider but losing the energy ahead of the next clash! In the semis, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger in straight sets, and we haven't see the Basel native in the official matches after that. Following the record-breaking Cape Town encounter with Rafael Nadal, Federer underwent knee surgery in February, planning to return in June for Halle and Wimbledon on his beloved grass.

Roger Federer played only one tournament in 2020 and will finish in the top-5.

Roger failed to take the pain away, though, undergoing another surgery in May and opting to call it a season, throwing everything on 2021. Roger is currently on the practice court, increasing the pace of his training sessions and working hard on a comeback that should happen at the Australian Open in February. With those 720 points claimed in Melbourne in January, Federer is the 29th best player of the season, although he will kick off the new one from inside the top-5. For example, Alexandr Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Scwartzman have won more than 2000 points in 2020 alone, which wasn't enough to finish the year ahead of the Swiss and gain a better starting position ahead of the first Major of the new season.

"Roger Federer changed the ranking method to protect himself. It is irresponsible and quite simply incorrect. In my opinion, he takes advantage of his position on the Players' Council. It has to be said that without the ranking change, Roger Federer would not be in the top 50," Dick Hordorff said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3g3uGNF