Roger Federer: will it make the new 2017 in 2021?
Roger Federer announced on Wednesday that it won't be back on the tour until 2021. A decision that evokes memories. A commentary by Florian Goosmann.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Jun 11, 2020, 09:22 am
July 26, 2016 has burned itself into the memory of many tennis fans. It was just on this day that a message shocked the tennis world : Roger Federer announced that he would skip the rest of the season and only play again in 2017.
At the time, Federer had also had a knee injury after the Australian Open and had prematurely attempted a comeback, which resulted in back problems and renewed knee problems. Federer reached the Wimbledon semifinals, but the maestro's system was not entirely smooth.
Federer's decision to do his nails with his head, to relax in 2016 - physically and mentally - turned out to be spot on: In the Hopman Cup 2017 he was already in brilliant shape, followed by the victory at the Australian Open, the Sunshine double in Indian Wells and Miami and the Wimbledon victory.
Can Federer make such a comeback again in 2021? Questionable - but not excluded. Even if the signs are different. It is uncertain whether professional tennis can still be played in 2020. The US Open, should it take place, will probably be held without spectators, it would be a disadvantage for Federer, who knows the majority of fans at all tournaments around the world. Even if only one coach per player should be admitted, this is a disadvantage for the older ones, who would then have to choose between coach, fitness trainer or physio.
Federer, it seems clear, has little to lose with the break. Also, because in contrast to 2016, the world rankings are already frozen. Federer can not slide (far), even if some tournaments take place and should be counted.
Federer: Alternatives don't sound exhilarating anyway
As stupid as it sounds, Federer seems to be profiting from the break. Federer's alternative to a normal tennis year would have been to travel to Wimbledon and possibly to the US Open. So he can fully concentrate on recovery and hone his game - in 2017 he came back on the tour with a significantly improved backhand, one of the decisive shots for the wins against Nadal and thus also those in Melbourne, Indian Wells and Miami. And later in Shanghai. Federer could start in 2021 similarly to 2017 - no longer at the Hopman Cup, but at the ATP Cup, i.e. with a safe number of matches in the run-up to the Australian Open.
The big questions, of course: Will Federer, at 39, still be lively enough to win the big titles? Does a competition body rust too much due to a 10-month competition break, do other zippers appear on the comeback? And of course: will the farewell season be in 2021? Nobody currently knows the answers, probably not even Federer himself.