'We're all eager to see Roger Federer', says ATP legend

Roger Federer's last official appearance was at this year's Australian Open, where he almost miraculously reached the semi-finals by surrendering to Novak Djokovic in three sets. After undergoing two surgeries on his right knee, the Basel legend is currently in Dubai to prepare for his return to the field in 2021. At the Laureus Awards ceremony just over a week ago, the 39-year-old Swiss admitted that he is testing his knee in this period to see if he can travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open. The 2021 edition of the Happy Slam will in fact take place from 8 to 21 February, so that all players can travel to Australia and carry out the two weeks of mandatory quarantine. Tim Henman, a four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, recently spoke about Federer's imminent return in a lengthy interview with Tennis.com. The Englishman knows the 20-time Grand Slam champion both on and off the pitch very well, so he believes King Roger will not come back until he's in top condition.

Henman on Roger Federer's future

"The obvious one is Roger Federer," Tim Henman said when asked which player he was most interested in watching next year. "I mean, he's a good friend of mine. He's someone I've known for a long, long time, and we're all eager to see him. If and when he's ready to get back out there competing." Besides being good friends, Federer and Henman also met 13 times on the tour. The Swiss led their rivalry 7-6, with six consecutive wins in their last six matches. Tim Henman claimed that in addition to Roger Federer, he would also be keen to follow the prospects of the young Italian Jannik Sinner next year. "If I'm going to give you two, I would say Jannik Sinner for sure," Henman went on. "I've been very impressed with his progress. His performance against Nadal at Roland Garros was very, very impressive. If Sinner had got that first set under his belt, that could have been a long evening for Nadal. I look at his game and I see a lot of room for improvement," the Brit said. "And that I think is what makes it so exciting. Because he's a very, very good player already. But I think his serve can improve. He can get physically stronger, that will aid his movement. He's going to gain experience the more time he's out there. Expecting a big, big year in 2021 for Sinner."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3nO5H3D