Time passes slower in the circuit since Roger Federer decided in August 2021 to undergo a new operation on his right knee and as a consequence, absent himself from the competition for an indefinite period of time. On July 7 last season he played his last game so far, in which he fell to Hubert Hurkacz in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Today, taking advantage of the inauguration of a playground in a school in the Swiss city of Emmen, Roger Federer commented with SRF Sport how much time is left until we can see him play an official match again, as well as talk about his routines.
How’s the recovery going?
Before undergoing the operation in August, Roger already knew that the problem was not going to go away overnight. Federer, who already had it more than assumed, faces this recovery period in the best possible way: “It goes little by little. I had surgery at the end of August and we already knew it then. They keep asking me: ‘How’s things going?’ I can tell it’s still going to take a while. I just have to be patient. I am making steady progress. Now I go straight to the gym, and I do it 5 or 6 times a week. The goal is to be ready for the Laver Cup and Basel by the end of the year.
Tennis still has to wait a bit
One of the factors to ensure a good recovery is to go step by step, be patient from day to day, despite wanting to see the results as soon as possible. “In the coming months I will have much more information, because now I am running out of space. I play with the children from time to time. I could do a lot more, but for now we focus on fitness so there is no overload. Tennis still has to wait a bit. I’ll do enough when the time comes.”
“I have hopes”
According to the words collected by tagesanzeiger, Federer has good feelings ahead of his return: “After Basel, the season is over anyway. First of all, it is important for me to get back in shape to be able to fully train again. The Laver Cup is a good start, I don’t have to play five games in six days. I should be able to do it in Basel. That’s why I have to prepare well for it in training.”
The Swiss is clear that he will return in 2023: “Definitely. How and where, I don’t know yet. But that would be the idea. I am curious to see what else is to come. But I am hopeful, I have a good path behind me. No I’m a long way off. The next three or four months are going to be eminently important.”
On Nadal and his 14th Roland Garros
“I didn’t watch the final, I watched a bit of the quarter-final match before going to sleep. It’s amazing what Rafa has achieved. Pete Sampras’ record, which I beat, was 14 Grand Slams. Now Rafa has won 14 times at Roland Garros. It’s unbelievable. I’m happy he did it again. Hats off to Rafa. After the tenth, eleventh time, I thought: ‘This can’t be’, but he keeps raising the bar. He’s huge.”
