Roger Federer: 'I'm really amazed how that experience left positive mark on them'

After 21 consecutive participations, Roger Federer will miss the Australian Open in Melbourne. It will be the third Grand Slam in a row in which he will be absent. And to think that he had only missed four (including three Roland Garros) in the previous 81. Having taken note, elaborated the mourning, now we have to ask ourselves when we will see him in 2021, and where. Because the doubts about the "if" remain, thinking about what Ivan Ljubicic said just a few days ago about the tennis of his 'assist': "Tennis has no problems. Even when he is weeks without playing, it is incredible how easy he is to find It may seem like a natural gift, but it is not something that comes out of nowhere: it is the thousands and thousands of hours of repetition that have built up this apparent fluency". Yet, here is the renunciation of Australia. So it is legitimate to ask what Federer's real physical condition is. The Swiss has been in Dubai since December 14 to train, so all the good and sincere intentions are there, however - despite great his talent is - we are still talking about a next 40-year-old (August 2021), and the renunciation (certainly suffered ) of the Swiss is part of intelligent planning that wants to protect him from injuries and also extend his career even further, although his staff say he always wants to play. Roger Federer has reiterated his ambitions for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, calling it one of his big goals for next year. 

Federer on his plans for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

During a recent chat with Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori, the 39-year-old talked about how the postponement has helped him, even if that was from a 'selfish' perspective. "Big plan is to be there (Japan) for the Olympics,” Roger Federer said. “You know, this is for me the big one. Maybe selfishly for me it has not been a bad thing that it was actually moved a little, you know because of the problems I had last year. It was a big shock for all of us when Wimbledon pulled out because of the pandemic and then Tokyo Olympics shortly after that, was moved.” The World No. 5 is expected to make his comeback in January next year. He should be able to compete at the mega quadrennial event in Japan if his body does not face any further setbacks. “Let’s hope for the best for the Olympic Games coming to Tokyo next year, this is also one of my big goals. I really hope I can come back to Tokyo for that," Federer said. "Mirka loves the country and the culture. So do I. My kids still keep talking about Japan so much (since we visited Japan last year). I'm really amazed how the experience in Japan left really positive mark on them,” Federer said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/38NtRFk