Google News 'Roger Federer knows that Djokovic is going to outlast him', says top analyst
by SIMONE BRUGNOLI | VIEW 19657
With the ATP's decision to "unfreeze" part of the points obtained by tennis players in 2019, Roger Federer - who won in Miami two years ago and will not participate in the tournament this year - will see 500 ATP points go up in smoke and will come passed in sixth place by Alexander Zverev.
Currently (as you can see from our Atp Live ranking, always updated) the Swiss has 5,875 points, against 6,070 of the German, and is therefore climbed to position number 7. The bad news for Federer, however, may not end there.
Behind him, in fact, paws Andrey Rublev, currently at 5,071 points. The Russian - who between 2020 and 2021 won six tournaments and who without freezing the ranking would be number 4 in the world - to overcome Federer needs to make full loot, obtaining all the 1000 points offered by the Miami Masters.
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and journalist Ben Rothenberg recently spoke at length about Roger Federer and his comeback.
Rothenberg comments on Roger Federer
Ben Rothenberg, meanwhile, believes Roger Federer has accepted that his records will sooner or later get surpassed by his rivals.
"He already got beaten in the No. 1 weeks by Djokovic and I don't think he wants to lose all his records," Bartoli said. "But I don't think he wants to put his body on the line just for one record. He has achieved enough." Ben Rothenberg on his part claimed that Roger Federer has likely enjoyed being at the top of the pile for a decade, and that the Swiss has come to terms with the fact that his records will eventually not belong to him.
"I think Roger's pretty smart," Rothenberg said. "He's held this record for most Grand Slams since 2009, so that's a nice 12 years and counting. I think he's enjoyed this time, he recognises it can come to an end and it's beyond his control.
I also think he knows that Djokovic is going to outlast him and maybe get to 22, 23, or whatever. I was surprised he pulled out of Miami," Rothenberg said. "I thought it would have made sense, with a day off between matches, it's the closest thing to a Slam.
I don't think he necessarily wants to be peaking on the clay; it's gruelling, it's his least favourite surface, it has the least to do with grass in terms of playing style." Federer has so far only played two matches since the 2020 Australian Open.
He moves into the clay-court season with little match practice. In the next two months, Federer might experiment and get match fit for the grass-court season in June.