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Roger Federer surprised with his announcement of retirement at the age of 41. The Swiss, considered one of the best tennis players of all time, communicated his decision with a video that he shared on social networks. “This is a bittersweet decision, because I’m going to miss everything that the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the luckiest people on earth,” said the Basel-born tennis player.
“They gave me a special talent to play tennis and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible”, added the Swiss, winner of 20 Grand Slam titles, including eight at the Wimbledon Open. “Next week’s Laver Cup in London will be my last ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but it will not be at Grand Slams or on the ATP circuit, ”he advanced in a passage of the extensive announcement.
Nevertheless, in the last hours his presence in the exhibition tournament that will be played between September 23 and 25 in London is in doubt. This was made known by the athlete’s own environment.
“This will probably be a last minute decision. He has practiced at a level to determine exactly if playing is a good idea or not”, revealed physical trainer Pierre Paganini. The professional explained in dialogue with the Swiss newspaper Blick that Federer contemplated retirement three months ago, when he had to make “greater efforts for a relatively low intensity.”
“Being in his inner circle, you know what Roger thinks, and this is not a spontaneous decision that he announced on Thursday at a quarter past three. Federer had been groping his retirement since July, when when he began to combine various training exercises he realized that he had to go around and try harder, ” Paganini explained in relation to the physical problems, especially in the knees of the Swiss, who last competed at Wimbledon 2021.
“I think Federer has made a smart decision. It’s not just about the knee. Roger has played many matches in his career and has put his body under extreme stress. He has made an incredible effort these years to compete at a world level. Imagine the training sessions he will have done until he was 41 years old! It’s a miracle how he’s fared in the last five years. Roger’s decision is very wise and it is also a relief for me, because We don’t want him to get injured again and have physical problems in the future.” Paganini continued about Federer’s retirement and sowing doubts about his appearance in the Laver Cup that will start this Friday.
For its part, coach Severin Luthiwas optimistic and maintained that he could play at least one game. “His goal is to play something, whether it’s singles or doubles, we’ll have to see. His goal is still to play in the Laver Cup, definitely. We train for three hours in the morning, then another two hours in the afternoon,” he said.
The Making Cup will take place between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 September and will be televised by ESPN and Star+. In the tournament, which will take place at The O2 Arena in London, they will take part, in addition to Roger FedererRafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Diego Schwartzman, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Sock.
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