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Roger Federer has not been able to express his best tennis in the last two seasons due to continuing knee problems. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has in fact undergone more than one operation, with the hope of returning to normal in 2022.
After losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Federer decided to take a break before announcing his forfeit ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The real goal of the former world number one was to play a good part of the American Tour, with an eye towards the US Open, but his project was blown when the doctors proposed a new surgery.
Federer on his run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon
Following his quarter-final exit at Wimbledon this year, Roger Federer spoke to Jonathan Heaf of the GQ Magazine about a number of topics, including his campaign at SW19 and how he has modified his training regimen with age.
"Obviously, it's always hard leaving a court after losing at Wimbledon earlier than a final… When you reach a final, there's a trophy ceremony, there's more to it, but when you lose earlier, well, you pack your stuff and you go and, at that point, the stage is your winning opponent’s, in my mind, not yours.
So that was important for me to give that one to Hubert [Hurkacz], obviously, as quickly as possible," Federer said. The Swiss nevertheless expressed satisfaction over his run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for an 18th time.
Federer was quick to point out that many players had never made a single last-eight appearance at SW19, and that it was important not to take any result for granted. "But at the end of the day, I made the quarters – I played Wimbledon," Federer remarked.
"You can never take that sort of thing for granted: remember, other guys never had a quarterfinal in their life at Wimbledon and I've had so many that I think I have got to have a little perspective and see that actually, overall, it was a really good tournament for me." The Indian Wells is one of the important tournaments in the calendar year.
Usually, it is the first 1000 events played in the season, and players from the ATP and WTA compete for the title. The Swiss maestro and the Spanish star ended their seasons early as they were dealing with injuries. Federer had to undergo a third knee surgery, and he was going to be away from the Tour for a considerable amount of time. Rafa has also been struggling with a foot injury since the French Open.