‘I believe some new, incredible player will break our run of 20 Grand Slams eventually,’ says Roger Federer
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Roger Federer
Roger Federer might be taking a break from the ATP tour, in order to recover from his knee troubles. That said, the Swiss maestro was recently spotted at the 2021 Laver Cup in Boston.
Interestingly, it was the first time that the Laver Cup went ahead without tennis icons Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Currently, the big-three are also tied at 20 Grand Slams apiece.
While it is anybody’s guess as to who will take the lead in the all-time Grand Slam holder list, the 40-year-old Federer feels that one day, some player from in years to come will eventually break the record of 20-Grand Slams.
“I think yes (it will get beaten by someone else one day). I feel like nowadays – and this is not to take anything away from Rafa, Novak or myself, for that matter – but I feel like it’s easier to dominate through the different surfaces nowadays,” the Swiss told British GQ Magazine.
Federer further explained that tennis players from the 60s-70s and 80s didn’t pay much attention to breaking records, but was quick to point out the change in approach of his generation of players.
“Back in the day, yes, we did have three grass-court events, but maybe the margins were slimmer. I feel like there were hard-court players, clay-court players and there weren’t so many players who could play on all surfaces. Sure, [Bjorn] Borg did it, but things were different. Players weren’t chasing one Slam after another like they are today and record after record. Nowadays such a strategy is much more part of your career. So, yes, a new, incredible player will, I believe, break our run of 20 Grand Slams eventually – but not overnight,” the former World No.1 added.
Retirement around the corner?
While the eight-time Wimbledon champion provided no direct answer on his retirement plans, he did share some useful information on a few factors that could force him in bidding adieu to the sport.
“Like any athlete, you will just know when the time is right. I am not going to be the one that’s just going to stick around because I want to stick around. You know, I still want to play exhibitions down the road and have fun and go to markets in places I’ve never been before.”
“The fans mean a lot to me, but I do not want to abuse my body. I still want to run around with my kids and ski… So I think you just know,” the holder of 103 ATP titles concluded.
As we saw in Boston last week, Federer is still not able to walk freely without a support. Although the 20-time Grand Slam champion did sound optimistic about his return to the tour in 2022, it remains to be seen when and where the maestro will eventually make the move.
Also read: World No.1 and Wimbledon winner Ash Barty withdraws from the 2021 Indian Wells tournament
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Vivek Krishnan
(767 Articles Published)