Monday, December 19, 2016

Roger Federer says he enjoyed the break but is ready to come back to tennis

Roger Federer will make his comeback after not playing since Wimbledon
The 35-year-old 17-time grand slam winner will return to the court next month
Federer feels ready to play again after six months with his wife and children


Roger Federer has admitted he enjoyed a taste of retirement this year, but insisted that he still has no desire to make that permanent.

The Swiss legend is preparing to make his comeback next month after not playing since Wimbledon, and despite enjoying some quality months off with his family does not want to repeat the experience for a while yet.

'I think it was really exciting and good for us to have that time,' he told the New York Times. 'It felt good, you know? It did feel good but it can totally wait. No problem for me, it can totally wait.


'I did get that taste of retirement. All of a sudden I could be organised and say 'OK we're going to be four weeks at home in a row in the same place. Who do you want to go to dinner with Mirka? Or who shall we catch up with?'

However Federer, now 35 and holder of seventeen Grand Slam titles, added that his wife and four children are completely supportive of him extending his career.

He said: 'Mirka is totally committed, totally happy. The kids love it and I'm still hungry and now I'm even refreshed and rejuvenated. The kids were asking "When are we leaving again?"'

Federer aggravated a knee injury during Wimbledon and is currently preparing in Dubai for the Hopman Cup, the team event in Perth early next month where he will represent Switzerland against Great Britain, among others.

He kept a close eye on the battle for world number one towards the end of the season, and conceded that he was amazed Andy Murray – crowned on Sunday night as Sports Personality of the Year for the third time – had reined Novak Djokovic in so quickly.

Federer said: 'Novak, let's be honest, actually didn't play too badly in the second half. He won Toronto, he played in the finals of other tournaments - US Open, World Tour Finals.

'You would think that's going to be enough, but what it required was something extraordinary, and Murray was able to deliver that, and that's where I take my hat off.'

Murray only allowed the SPOTY presentation to be a brief interruption to his daily training programme in Miami, and went back and did some more afterwards.

He will fly back just before Christmas, spend a few days at home, and then play the Mubadala exhibition event in Abu Dhabi starting on December 29 and then the Qatar Open before flying on to Australia.

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