Despite all the setbacks, Roger Federer is keen to prolong his career, and is working hard on his fitness ahead of a possible Laver Cup comeback in September. Roger underwent two knee surgeries after the 2020 Australian Open semi-final and skipped the rest of the year.
He returned in Doha last year and played three matches before Roland Garros, where he advanced to the fourth round. Pleased with his progress, Federer withdrew before the clash with Matteo Berrettini to preserve his knee for the beloved grass season.
Roger experienced his earliest exit from Halle, falling to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round and hoping for a better run at Wimbledon. The veteran stopped the clock on his 22nd appearance at the All England Club. The eight-time champion defeated Adrian Mannarino , Richard Gasquet, Cameron Norrie and Lorenzo Sonego to advance to the quarterfinals as the oldest player in the Open Era.
Roger faced Hubert Hurkacz in the Round of 16 and suffered his worst loss ever at Wimbledon. The Pole beat the Swiss 6-3, 7-6, 6-0, and it was Federer’s first zero at a Major since the 2008 Roland Garros final . Roger underwent his third operation a few weeks later, and his recovery process is ongoing.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion is confident of his return, which should come at the Laver Cup in September. Federer spent 1,148 consecutive weeks in the top-50, and Rafael Nadal now owns the longest streak in that group, as of January 2005 .
Federer wants to be ready for the Laver Cup
“[Rehab’s] going slowly. I keep getting asked, ‘And what does it look like?’ and I have to say every time that it will take a little longer. I just have to be patient and keep making progress,” Roger Federer said.
“I’m going straight to the gym right now and it’s 5 or 6 times a week. I could do a lot more, but at the moment we’re focusing on fitness so that there’s no overload.” Noting that he will be getting more information about the state of his knees in the coming months, the 20-time Grand Slam champion remarked that he has no other option but to wait until then.
“The goal is to be ready for the Laver Cup and Basel by the end of the year. I’ll get a lot of information in the next few months because I’m running out of space now,” Federer said. “I play with the kids from time to time. Tennis still has to wait a little bit. I’ll do enough of that when I have time.”