Some considered it the end of his long and successful career, a player whose age had finally pushed him into retirement. Yet he rallied back to win seven titles in 2017 in one of the best seasons in his career.
In February 2020, Federer announced that he was taking a short break because of an operation to fix his knee. Most expected a return by summer, but a Tweet revealed that a complication had prompted a second procedure and that the star was out for the rest of the season.
Federer said that he knows “it’s more on the rare side for almost a 40-year-old to come back after almost a year being out. But I took a decision quite early with the team that I wanted to take the time, no rush, to get back onto the tour.” He made his first appearance after a 405-day hiatus at the Qatar Open, making it to the quarter-finals. Days later he promptly withdrew from the upcoming Dubai Open, citing a need for more training.
"It’s more on the rare side for almost a 40-year-old to come back after almost a year being out. But I took a decision quite early with the team that I wanted to take the time, no rush, to get back onto the tour."
Roger Federer
Training could turn out to be a good idea, especially when Federer has expressed his desire to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. His coach Pierre Paganini has spoken out about the difference between this and his 2017 resurgence: that “when [he] started working with him, we were at the bottom.”
Federer’s muscles suffered from considerable deterioration due to a lack of training between operations. Paganini continued, “It's really not comparable to 2016. Roger is already celebrating a big win if he can go back on the pitch, play and then say: Hey guys, I played, I was fine, I'm looking forward to the next match.”
The Swiss Maestro’s playing style is incredibly efficient with gorgeous footwork, so despite being a staggering 39, he has been much less injury-prone than his biggest rivals. Take Rafael Nadal, who plays much more aggressively and physically, which is tough on his body. In Paganini’s words, “Roger only plays when he knows that he can play well again. Now we all have to see how the body reacts. It is important to protect him.”
Fans must keep their expectations low, and simply hope that Federer stays strong throughout his slow return. Another electric final between Federer and another of the Big Three will be rare, but surely King Roger will continue to keep us on the edge of our seats no matter who he plays.