'It is impressive to see how quickly Roger Federer...', says young star

Roger Federer has been in Dubai for a few weeks now to prepare for his return to the circuit after the Australian Open 2021. To tell the truth, there are still no precise indications as to when the Swiss phenomenon will return to action, but it is widely believed that the former world number 1 may be at the start of the Rotterdam tournament in the first week of March. The forfeit in Melbourne, the first in the last 23 editions of the Happy Slam, gave King Roger a few more weeks to get back in shape both technically and physically. Together with his long-time athletic trainer Pierre Paganini, the current number 5 ATP preferred not to take risks, having repeatedly reiterated that his great seasonal goals will be Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has been training with fellow countryman Dominic Stricker in recent weeks, with the junior Roland Garros winner thanking his idol. Interviewed by Berner Zeitung, the 18-year-old Swiss described his training sessions with Federer. In the opinion of numerous insiders, the strict measures imposed by the Australian government played a significant role in Federer's choice not to go to Melbourne. On the other hand, it would have been very difficult for the 39-year-old from Basel to take his team and family with him, from which he would hardly have separated for more than a month. However, his biographer Simon Graf pointed out that Roger is not yet 100% fit, as Federer himself admitted during the Laureus Awards ceremony.

Stricker on Roger Federer

"It is impressive to see how quickly Roger Federer switches," Dominic Stricker said. "He is relaxed during breaks, and as soon as he takes the racket again, he switches to training mode - then he is immediately very concentrated." In that context, training in the warm climate of Dubai would be a significant boost for the eight-time Wimbledon champion. Federer is known to carry out intense training sessions in the middle-eastern city during the off-season, and it seems that it is no different this time around either. As of now, the Australian Open is on and will take place from February 8, 2021, to February 21, 2021. It will be the first Grand Slam of the year and thus, fans are quite excited about it. They’ll certainly hope that it will not get canceled so that they’ll get to see their favorite superstars live soon.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3sM5pgL