Frankfurt / Main (SID) – After a break of over a year, tennis superstar Roger Federer wants to make his comeback at the ATP tournament in Doha in March. The 39-year-old told Swiss radio SRF on Tuesday. His last match on the tour so far was the semi-final defeat by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in January 2020. He then had to undergo two knee operations.
“I like to play tennis for life. I have given a lot in rehab, in the conditioning area. I had to go through the bottom, but I always did it with joy,” said the Grand Slam record champion.
Federer actually wanted to return to this year’s Australian Open (from February 8), but the date came too early despite the three-week postponement. The tournament in Doha will take place from March 8th to 13th and is “a good test” for the Swiss.
Despite the long injury break and his old age for a high-performance athlete, Federer continues to pursue high goals. “I want to celebrate great victories again. And for that I am ready to go the long, hard road,” he said. He aligns everything to Wimbledon, the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the US Open in New York.
First, however, Federer first wants to see how his body reacts to the return to competition mode. He will not “morbidly try to stay on the tour,” he said.
