Analysis: Federer sees ‘end is near,’ hopes for on-court bye
3 years, 1 month ago

Analysis: Federer sees ‘end is near,’ hopes for on-court bye

Associated Press  

Just before the start of Wimbledon in late June, Roger Federer recalled a conversation about retirement that he had with Pete Sampras a decade ago. “He was thinking I was coming towards the end or something, just because it was, for him, normal that at 31, 33 — with the career that we’ve had, with all the sacrifice, in a way, you have to go through — it’s hard to keep on pushing for more years on tour.” Federer, who turned 40 in August, went on to explain that he never thought he’d still be going at this age, especially after a series of knee operations. “So for the sake of our sport, I sincerely hope that we can see him play, at least another time.” Federer, who shares the men’s record of 20 major singles championships with Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, has not competed since undergoing surgery on his right knee for the third time in 1 1/2 years. That’s why, in the interview published Wednesday, Federer said his fans “deserve better than the image left during the grass-court season,” even if he also figures, correctly, that the lasting memory of his play would be his triumphs and “how they felt watching me play,” rather than the stumble against Hurkacz. “We would all like that I could say goodbye in my way and on the tennis court,” Federer said, adding: “In absolute terms, there’s not a right moment to leave.

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