This is an article “What Is King Roger Currently Up To These Coming Months” by Marc Pulisci
After confirming his participation in this year's Swiss Indoors, Roger Federer hints at a major return to competitive tennis after nursing a significant knee injury since last year's Wimbledon. After making a trip to Malawi last month, King Roger seems too excited to get his foot back into the court and add another title to his ten Basel crowns come October 22 to 30. The Swiss Indoors is part of the ATP Tour 500.
Missing most of this year's tour, Federer is adamant about not missing the slated third-quarter tournament – one he never has throughout his entire career. Of course, the Swiss Indoors was halted two years prior due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. The tennis legend is set to enter the competition draw with his current protected ATP rank at number 9.
Easing his way into competitive tennis
In one Instagram post last month, Federer captioned a previous photo of himself playing at one of Switzerland's major sporting events, captioning it with "Looking forward to playing back home." Soon enough, both fans and pundits are talking about the possibility of the former number 1's return to the grand slams.
The champion's Instagram post created such a buzz that organizers of the Swiss Indoors issued a statement intended to generate excitement for its return in October at the St. Jakobshalle stadium after its two-year hiatus and further emphasized Federer's participation. It also includes when fans can see the champion in action, which will be on October 25.
However, the Swiss Indoors won't be the first time Federer will play on court after his major knee surgery, as he is also set to play in the 3-day Laver Cup in London this September. The Laver Cup was Federer's brainchild which matches six of the top European players against another six from the rest of the world.
A 'Fedal' Reunion at the Laver Cup
While the Swiss Indoors' format is more grueling than the Laver Cup, the latter might allow fans to see a reunion between Federer and fellow ATP former number 1 and current number 4 Rafael Nadal. The Spanish champion has surpassed last year's three-way tie of 20 grand slam titles he shared with Federer and Novak Djokovic by winning his 21st at the Australian Open early this year.
Federer had earlier announced his excitement to join this year's Laver Cup telling the press how he loves the event and The O2 in London, where players will play the matches. Both Nadal and Federer will be playing for Team Europe, so there's no chance of seeing them against each other unless they schedule an exhibition match. This year's cup will be the third time they share the stage after participating in a doubles match in the cup's Prague leg in 2017.
Nadal also shares the same excitement for the return of his good friend, yet fierce competitor, messaging the Swiss champion since last year about how he wants to play another doubles match side-by-side. During one of his interviews, Nadal said they would be discussing the possibility of the doubles match with their Team Europe captain, legend Bjorn Borg.
The Spaniard further praised Federer by saying how the Swiss champion has been a considerable part of his career and dearly treasures their rivalry and friendship.
News about Federer's injury
For fans keen on monitoring the progress of the Swiss Maestro's rehabilitation, the earliest news came with Federer's coach Severin Luthi's announcement that the champion will miss out on this year's Wimbledon. Fans knew about a successful MRI the champion had undergone early this year but were not as confident of seeing his return anytime soon. And those intuitions are right on the dot as Federer announced that he wanted to take it slow with his rehabilitation and ensure complete recovery before returning to the court.
Whether or not his participation at the Laver Cup and the Swiss Indoors is part of his recovery training or simply because both are closest to his heart is anyone's guess.
By April, Federer posted another Instagram post showing how he was busying himself at the gym with "Rehab is rockinggggggg🎸💪🏼." The post quickly registered over 100,000 likes, and people started talking again about a potential return of the king.
The Swiss champion's last competitive appearance was at last year's Wimbledon in July, where he reached the quarterfinals. He suffered a defeat against Hubert Hurkacz in that match that ended in three straight sets, 6-3 7-6 6-0, before undergoing major surgeries to his right knee. Earlier in 2020, he also had two arthroscopic right knee surgeries, which made many wonder if he could ever return to grand slam caliber competition.
Now 40-years old, Federer had earlier said that he was already happy with what he had accomplished in his career but was not giving up on his dream for another grand slam title just yet. One thing for sure is that there is a slim chance he will get his shot this year with his ongoing recovery being a factor and how the three other Grand Slam events will happen before the Laver Cup. The French Open starts in May while Wimbledon happens in July, and the US Open kicks off in August.
Talks about retirement
Given his multiple knee injuries and ripe old age of 40, many can't help but speculate about Federer's plan to retire from tennis. The Swiss Maestro had earlier told the press that he wanted to go out on his own terms, which entails playing again before retiring despite all the underlying factors. Nonetheless, he acknowledges that he is currently in the twilight years of his career. However, he also stated that this wouldn't stop him from playing other big matches moving forward, preferably another Grand Slam, which he told Tribune de Geneva reporters last November.
Based on all the news and interviews that have come out since his hiatus, Federer seems inclined to test his limits as one of the best professional players who ever played the sport before laying down his racquet. He wants a big bang before bidding his millions of fans and competitors' adieu'. He says this is why he is working hard in his rehabilitation. For all of those who know Federer's heart, no one can take away this dream return from the Swiss Maestro, and what a blessing it would be to see him play another Grand Slam, even if it's the last one for the road.
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