Roger Federer has a habit of surprising his fans. When people started questioning his ability and strength, he came, he saw and he conquered his 18th Grand Slam at Australian Open. He is a force unstoppable. The Swiss Maestro who lives and breathes tennis will not stop at the mere age of 35. He’s here for the long haul. In a recent interview, Roger Federer opens up on his epic Australian Open triumph.
“I can just play the tournaments I want to play and enjoy the process,” Federer told ESPN. “If I do show up and play, I love it. When I’m in training, I enjoy being in training. When I’m not in training, if I’m on vacation, I can enjoy that. I’m not in a rush. So I can take a step back and just actually enjoy.”
ALSO READ : Rafael Nadal to get immortalized at Roland Garros
It took him four and a half long year to win another Grand Slam which was the Australian Open at the start of this year. To top that off it was his nemesis, Rafael Nadal on the other side of the net. It was an uncertain win for Roger until the end as he was struggling in the fifth set when Rafa was up 3-1. Many thoughts were in Federer’s mind in that moment: “I recall saying, ‘You have to try to break now, pal, because later on he is going to stay in the lead and have the break, and then too much luck is involved to turn the whole thing around. I told myself, ‘I’ve done very little wrong. I’ve played committed. I’ve played bigger with my backhand than I ever have against Rafa. I’ve hit a lot of backhand winners.’ I had the best 20 minutes of my life, maybe, on the tennis court. I just zoned in and just went.”
Then he said laughing, “I will play until 40. Just maybe not on the Tour. I’ve had rocky years the last few years. And I did have my doubts. I think people can relate to that. It felt like the end of a career.”
ALSO READ : Toni Nadal reveals Rafa’s toughest Grand Slam win
Earlier this year, Federer signed a three-year contract to play in his hometown ATP event, the Swiss Indoors, which takes place every October in Basel. His oath to participate until 2019 when he is 38 — a grand old age even at a time when tennis players are enjoying greater longevity than ever. Though at this stage predicting when he will call it a career is almost impossible.
As fans we can only expect the maestro to play as long as possible because without him the future of tennis appears bleak and prosaic. He is the quintessence of professional tennis. If he continues to play as motivated as he is while keeping his health in mind, we might as well see him at Wimbledon 2022.
