Federer hints that 2021 might be the end. States "i'm at the end of my career"

Aussie Darcy

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
As we've all known, Olympic singles gold seems to be what's keeping Federer around and he's mentioned how he wants to play in the Olympics one more, saying that he doesn't care if he wins in singles, doubles or mixed doubles. But what it looks like to me is he's waiting for Tokyo 2021 and then might finish up shortly after.


ROGER FEDERER dropped the latest hint he is considering retiring by admitting: "I'm at the end of my career."

But he insisted there is still plenty of life in his 38-year-old body as he targets one last achievement, another Olympic gold medal.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/12244254/roger-federer-hints-retirement-career-olympic-gold-medal/#
The veteran star, who turns 39 in August, will miss the remainder of the 2020 season when it restarts.

He underwent surgery on his problematic right knee in February but had to have a second op when his recovery was not going to plan.

Speaking to SRFSport, Federer admitted he will call time on his incredible career when his body tells him enough is enough.

He said: "It is already clear that I am at the end of my career. I cannot say what will be in two years.

"That’s why I plan year after year. I’m still happy right now.

"But when the cogwheels don’t grip anymore, I stop. When I am old, I will surely play tennis. But no longer train but just ‘ball’.

"It will be a very interesting step not to always work on something and only to play with colleagues."

Federer still holds the record for men's Grand Slam singles titles on 20, one ahead of Rafael Nadal.

The last three of those came in the 13 months after returning from knee surgery, winning the 2017 and 2018 Australian Opens as well as an eighth Wimbledon crown in between.

But one of his primary goals for his next comeback is glory in Tokyo.

Federer won gold for Switzerland in the doubles at Beijing 2008 then was beaten by Andy Murray in the singles final four years later on Wimbledon's Centre Court.

And he revealed he is desperate to get his hands on another medal at next summer's rearranged Games.

The Swiss legend added: "Olympics are always special.

"I’m excited to see what Tokyo will be like and hope the Games can take place in 2021.

"Of course I want a medal there. No matter whether in singles, doubles or mixed.

"I’m not there yet. If you have been on the tour for 20 years, you are happy to have a quieter year. The right preparation starts about three months before the Games - you don’t think about it beforehand."
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Backspin1183

Backspin1183

Talk Tennis Guru
See I told you it would work. You play tennis and let me do the talking.
images
 
Backspin1183

Backspin1183

Talk Tennis Guru
Basel 2021 could be his last then.
We sometimes forget that he's nearly 40 now. I don't see the other two, especially Rafa, hanging around much longer either after Federer retires.
 
D

Deleted member 743561

Guest
Mainad said:
Federer has at least 6 years on both of them so, health permitting, they may target the same time period for their own retirements.
Click to expand...
Well, you may recall the premise of "Project 26."

Same concept applies here. So, for the sake of argument, let's say that Federer leaves the game at age 40.

In order to surpass his longevity, the chasing pack will need to stick around until a minimum of age 52.
 
RaulRamirez

RaulRamirez

Legend
FedFosterWallace said:
Well, you may recall the premise of "Project 26."

Same concept applies here. So, for the sake of argument, let's say that Federer leaves the game at age 40.

In order to surpass his longevity, the chasing pack will need to stick around until a minimum of age 52.
Click to expand...
Equally "valid" I suppose, although why 52 and not 46?
 
D

Deleted member 771911

Guest
I am a huge Federer fan, but I won't even be that sad. I feel he has been around so long I'm kind of burned out on him.
 
D

Deleted member 771911

Guest
Mainad said:
And yet it will seems so strange not to have him around. Even worse when the others hang up their racquets. :unsure:
Click to expand...

It will be strange. I will miss him, but I will feel he definitely maxed out his career and won't feel sad like I would if he had been pushed out the game by the next Gen or had to retire with a terrible injury aged 31 or had just declined and was losing in slam second rounds for a few years, etc.
But, yes, it will be very strange.
However, I am really looking forward to an entirely new tennis landscape. I think I am a little bit alone there, though.
 
Bumbaliceps

Bumbaliceps

Professional
Mainad said:
And yet it will seems so strange not to have him around. Even worse when the others hang up their racquets. :unsure:
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Hey Mainad I wonder what is your prediction about the rest of Murray's career ? How do you think it will play out and for how long ?
 
MeatTornado

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Like he says, he's still happy and taking it year by year.

I also recall him saying once back in maybe 2018ish that he would never go through a big ordeal like his 2016 knee issue ever again and would probably just retire. Well here we are again, he had the exact same surgery, rehab, setback and is stuck on the sidelines for a year but he's still planning to come back.
 
Aussie Darcy

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Mainad said:
And yet it will seems so strange not to have him around. Even worse when the others hang up their racquets. :unsure:
Click to expand...
In a weird way, it almost seems fitting that after this Covid chaos the tour will be completely different from what we are used to. I feel there's going to be massive disruptions to the tour (as in top 10 players failing and lower ranked players rising up the ranks). I honestly can't say with surety that the slams will be dominated by the big 3. I don't know how the tennis world will look after this is all good and done
 
Mainad

Mainad

Bionic Poster
Bumbaliceps said:
Hey Mainad I wonder what is your prediction about the rest of Murray's career ? How do you think it will play out and for how long ?
Click to expand...

Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Been like that now for the last 2 years. I see him playing a limited season in future with a handful of selected events like Queen's, Wimbledon etc.
 
Aussie Darcy

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
MeatTornado said:
Like he says, he's still happy and taking it year by year.

I also recall him saying once back in maybe 2018ish that he would never go through a big ordeal like his 2016 knee issue ever again and would probably just retire. Well here we are again, he had the exact same surgery, rehab, setback and is stuck on the sidelines for a year but he's still planning to come back.
Click to expand...
Well there's a big difference between now and then and it's called Covid. We don't know when the tour will resume on a full scale. Many here think it'll be in 3 weeks for the USO but I have a far more cynical view.
 
Bhagi Katbamna

Bhagi Katbamna

Legend
It will be a sad day for tennis. Roger is the person whose charm has transcended language and even people who don't follow tennis are fans of Roger. It will be tough for tennis after he's gone. People were saying it was going to be tough for US tennis after Pete and Andre had retired and they were so right.
 
PeoplesChamp

PeoplesChamp

Legend
Olympics aren't the sole reason for Federer still playing. Come on now. He wants one more crack at Wimbledon. He only needs 20 more wins to become the winningest player ever too. He's not going through two surgeries, recovery, and training at nearly 40 just to play the Olympics.
 
T

Tennis_Hands

Banned
Devtennis01 said:
I am a huge Federer fan, but I won't even be that sad. I feel he has been around so long I'm kind of burned out on him.
Click to expand...

That feeling might be reinforced by the fact that the history has taken care of business and he doesn't need to prove anything to anyone anymore. The last 5 years or so have been so anti-climatic as far as the development of the sport is concerned, that nothing is what it should be, so many are basically becoming insensitive to what comes next (largely because there is no "next" and because other more important things have taken over).

:cool:
 
O

Oceans

Guest
I think he has a lot to offer judging from the high level of tennis he played at RG19, W19 and parts of AO20.
 
RaulRamirez

RaulRamirez

Legend
Not sure this interview produced any news.
One of the things I admire about Roger is his love for tennis, his inner fire to compete, and his optimistic nature. While he is a optimist - and that has helped propel him to such heights - he is not delusional. Let's see where his path takes him, and tennis fans.
 
MeatTornado

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Aussie Darcy said:
Well there's a big difference between now and then and it's called Covid. We don't know when the tour will resume on a full scale. Many here think it'll be in 3 weeks for the USO but I have a far more cynical view.
Click to expand...
We didn't know COVID was going to cancel most of the season when he got the surgery back in February.

And I really doubt the March-July events getting canceled made a difference in him not wanting to retire.
 
gjm127

gjm127

Hall of Fame
Rabbit said:
If he does retire from singles I wonder if he'll:
  • play doubles
  • play on the seniors tour
  • give lessons at his local club
Click to expand...

The only thing I see him doing is starting an academy in Switzerland like Rafa did in Spain. Something that promotes tennis in general. I doubt he'll do coaching at the tour level.

No way he plays doubs with Djokodal still on the circuit catching up to him in the GS slam race. He will put every professional effort attempts at trying to keep his throne. I don't care what he says, it's in the back of his mind for sure.
 
M

Milanez82

Hall of Fame
Aussie Darcy said:
As we've all known, Olympic singles gold seems to be what's keeping Federer around and he's mentioned how he wants to play in the Olympics one more, saying that he doesn't care if he wins in singles, doubles or mixed doubles. But what it looks like to me is he's waiting for Tokyo 2021 and then might finish up shortly after.
Click to expand...
And some people think olympic gold doesnt rate high for him while he is willing to delay a well deserved retirement, get up every morning, forget about enjoying it, train, sweat, grind to squeeze out a bit more out of his body for that one more attempt at Gold for country.
Some people just don't get the importance of not getting the gold for himself, but his country.
Not sure how its in some areas of the world but in Europe in most cases representing your country and standing on the podium with Olympic Gold is about as the biggest achievement one can have and brings more pride then winning a slam.
No wonder Djokovic cried more when he got dumped out of Rio Olympics as opposed to that finals loss in RG2015.
 
georgemccauley

georgemccauley

Rookie
It’s going to be incredibly difficult after a double knee surgery at 40 years of age to get back to the top level again, if we’re talking winning slams then it has to be virtually impossible
 
M

mental midget

Hall of Fame
big question--what's the game look like on the comeback? never know post-surgery what's gonna happen. if the knee's bugging him, can't find the old game, probably good bet he bows out in 2021. otoh...comes back feeling good, wins some matches, feels strong and is in the mix competitively, why on earth would he bail out?
 
N

ND-13

Hall of Fame
Aussie Darcy said:
In a weird way, it almost seems fitting that after this Covid chaos the tour will be completely different from what we are used to. I feel there's going to be massive disruptions to the tour (as in top 10 players failing and lower ranked players rising up the ranks). I honestly can't say with surety that the slams will be dominated by the big 3. I don't know how the tennis world will look after this is all good and done
Click to expand...

COVID-19 will not change anything.

The big 3 are way better than the tour, which for the most part is useless in BO 5.

The next-next-next gen will win the masters and BO3 but come BO5, they will lose to Fabbiano, Trungeletti, Vesely kind of players.
 
jm1980

jm1980

Talk Tennis Guru
Federer will unfortunately continue to torment the Tour for as long as he is allowed to remain competitive

When he starts to regularly lose matches to randoms his overinflated ego won't allow him to keep playing
 
wangs78

wangs78

Legend
I won’t be sad when Fed retires. I certainly hope he has a last hurrah - another Slam win or an Olympic gold medal in singles and one more Basel victory. Would also be nice if he is able to beat Connors titles record. But I’m tired of seeing Djokovic win these nail biters against him when Fed displays tennis clearly good enough to win but just tightens up on the biggest points.

I will definitely watch tennis less with Fed gone, as will many others. So it will definitely be a huge loss for the sport when he retires.
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
gjm127 said:
The only thing I see him doing is starting an academy in Switzerland like Rafa did in Spain. Something that promotes tennis in general. I doubt he'll do coaching at the tour level.

No way he plays doubs with Djokodal still on the circuit catching up to him in the GS slam race. He will put every professional effort attempts at trying to keep his throne. I don't care what he says, it's in the back of his mind for sure.
Click to expand...
Not sure he'd start an academy, think he'll just use his agency to become tennis dictator.
 
BeatlesFan

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
Rabbit said:
If he does retire from singles I wonder if he'll:
  • play doubles
Click to expand...
He's already said he has no interest to play doubles after he retires from singles. He was emphatic on that point in his presser after AO 2018: "to be honest, no interest to do that, I can't even imagine it."
 
Backspin1183

Backspin1183

Talk Tennis Guru
Shaolin said:
No we don't forget. It's continually brought up again and again and again. And then 100,000x more.

Anyone who has forgotten (if there is such a person) is lacking a brain stem at the very least.
Click to expand...

Then stop expecting him to keep on playing any longer.
 
DSH

DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
It doesn't make sense for him to keep playing after turning 40.
If he retires next year in singles, it will be a wise decision.

His business in the Laver Cup is another matter and I think he will be able to play uneventfully in the doubles competition and continue to delight the global audience with exhibitions all around the world in the upcoming years to continue promoting his personal brand and that of his sponsors.

His legacy is already legendary, all that remains is his decision to end his career as a professional tennis player in the most dignified way possible.
:)
 
Subway Tennis

Subway Tennis

Legend
Milanez82 said:
And some people think olympic gold doesnt rate high for him while he is willing to delay a well deserved retirement, get up every morning, forget about enjoying it, train, sweat, grind to squeeze out a bit more out of his body for that one more attempt at Gold for country.
Some people just don't get the importance of not getting the gold for himself, but his country.
Not sure how its in some areas of the world but in Europe in most cases representing your country and standing on the podium with Olympic Gold is about as the biggest achievement one can have and brings more pride then winning a slam.
No wonder Djokovic cried more when he got dumped out of Rio Olympics as opposed to that finals loss in RG2015.
Click to expand...

It does seem like the Big 4 all value the Olympics Singles Gold Medal as the second most important achievement behind a major.
 
BeatlesFan

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
Subway Tennis said:
It does seem like the Big 4 all value the Olympics Singles Gold Medal as the second most important achievement behind a major.
Click to expand...

Fed and Djoker want it because it's one of the very few achievements they've not yet bagged. Since Nadal's done it, I would strongly assume if given the choice, he'd choose to win the YEC since he's never won it. And 1500 points beats 0 points for an OGM.
 
AM75

AM75

Hall of Fame
Aussie Darcy said:
As we've all known, Olympic singles gold seems to be what's keeping Federer around and he's mentioned how he wants to play in the Olympics one more, saying that he doesn't care if he wins in singles, doubles or mixed doubles. But what it looks like to me is he's waiting for Tokyo 2021 and then might finish up shortly after.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, The Sun is a great source of information. Have you also consulted the Daily Mail, Bild and the National Enquirer?
 
C

ChrisRF

Legend
Milanez82 said:
And some people think olympic gold doesnt rate high for him while he is willing to delay a well deserved retirement, get up every morning, forget about enjoying it, train, sweat, grind to squeeze out a bit more out of his body for that one more attempt at Gold for country.
Some people just don't get the importance of not getting the gold for himself, but his country.
Not sure how its in some areas of the world but in Europe in most cases representing your country and standing on the podium with Olympic Gold is about as the biggest achievement one can have and brings more pride then winning a slam.
No wonder Djokovic cried more when he got dumped out of Rio Olympics as opposed to that finals loss in RG2015.
Click to expand...
I don’t think the country has anything to do with it. It’s not a team sport after all. But I agree that the Olympic Singles Gold is the most important remaining goal for himself. The Olympic Games are the biggest event in World Sport, so that isn’t surprising for me.
 
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