After his exhibition match with Andy Murray to raise money for his foundation he made a statement he will not be playing any more matches until Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year. The lion needs to cool down in his den before his big kill. Here is how Federer explains why he is taking a break from tennis.
“I’ll be resting most of the time. The body needs a rest, I can feel it,” Federer said in the interview following his exhibition.
Roger isn’t as young as he used to be and he cannot play as many matches as he used to. Fatigue has overpowered even the greatest of players. His body has limitations and after assessing his current condition he decided to withdrawn from the clay-court Masters tournaments in Madrid and Rome before the French Open.
Federer explains why he is taking a break from tennis
Federer has had a tremendous run this season. He won the Australian Open with an unparalleled performance to defeat Rafael Nadal in 5-set final. He went on to win the Indian Wells and the Miami Open subsequently. He is definitely in a great form but he knows his limits and it’s time to press pause.
“In Dubai I realized that I needed a break. After Indian Wells and Miami, I understood that playing in the clay season would have been too much,” said Federer.
The idea for him to skip the first part of the clay-season is for him to rejuvenate his body to be fit enough to stand a chance in a tournament which hasn’t been so forthcoming. Federer has won only one French Open out of his 18 Grand Slams.
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The real challenge would be for him to defeat his tennis-nemesis, the king of clay-court Rafael Nadal.
“Everything is good,” said Federer. “I should be back for the French Open, that’s the plan.”
The question is would he be able to acclimatize to the court without playing any match on that surface. The answer is simple. If anyone can it is Roger Federer. He has shown in Australian that he can be comfortable also without playing too many matches. We cannot wait to see this man in action again!
