'I look forward to seeing Roger Federer, Nadal, Djokovic when...', says ATP ace

Another blow to Roger Federer's countless fans has come in the last few hours. The Swiss phenomenon has announced that he will not be at the starting line of the Australian Open 2021, despite the fact that the first Slam season has been moved from 8 to 21 February to allow players to carry out the two weeks of mandatory quarantine. The former world number 1 had already confided that he was not in top form and that it would probably have been necessary to wait a little longer before seeing him again on the pitch. What is certain is that King Roger will complete a full year without playing, as his last official match dates back to the semi-final of the Australian Open 2020 against Novak Djokovic. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has repeatedly reiterated that his main goals will be Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, without forgetting the US Open and the Laver Cup in Boston. A summer full of appointments could also represent the last effort of his exceptional career. Interviewed by the portal Tennis Majors, the young Spanish tennis promise Carlos Alcaraz expressed his defeated admiration for the Big 3. In particular, the 17-year-old Iberian - who climbed over 300 positions in the ranking this year - revealed that he was not lost none of the epic clashes between Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.

Alcaraz on his passion for the Big 3

“I do not remember a particular match but, as most boys my age, I have watched the classics between Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic,” Alcaraz explained. Like all rising stars, Carlos Alcaraz is looking forward to watching the Big 3 from closer quarters when the bigger tournaments come his way. “Of course, I look forward to seeing them in the locker rooms when I start playing the biggest tournaments,” the Spaniard added. Everyone was shocked as Roger Federer withdrew from the Australian Open 2021. Federer had fallen behind in his preparations and thus had to withdraw from the Grand Slam. Now former World No.10 and semifinalist at the Australian Open, Lucas Pouille has also withdrawn from the Aussie Open in favor of playing the ATP challenger tournaments to aid his recovery after missing months due to surgery. Earlier today, Federer’s agent had revealed that the player won’t be ready for the Aussie Open. The past month there were various speculations around the delay in his recovery from his knee surgeries he had earlier this year. Federer himself labeled it as a race against time, and perhaps now he ran out of time to make a comeback in Australia. His fans are utterly dejected, and tennis lovers wanted Federer to make a comeback soon.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3rD5xP7