At the age of 34 Roger Federer is showing no signs of slowing down after ending his 2015 season with 6 ATP titles and runner-up at two Grand Slam events.
During a year which has been dominated by world No.1 Novak Djokovic, Federer has remained strong and consistent throughout the season with a win-loss of 63-11 (85% winning rate). The Swiss is currently in India playing for the Micromax Indian Aces at the IPTL. Whilst in India, the world No.3 conducted an interview with CNN-IBN where he spoke positively about his 2015 performance.
“It’s been a great year. I am very happy. I think I am playing really good. I am playing aggressive and I am playing the right way, so it’s nice”. The former world No.1 said.
There has been one question that the 17-time Grand Slam champion has been constantly asked throughout 2015, when will he retire. Speculation that the 34-year-old was near retirement was quashed last month when the organisers of the Stuttgart Open revealed that Federer has signed an agreement to play at the tournament until 2017. Speaking to CNN-IBN, the world No.3 agreed that age ‘is just a number‘ and discussed the benefits of being a veteran of the ATP Tour.
“Age can help you in some instances with experience – with knowing how to mentally prepare, physically prepare for all the things. If something does not go well, you know how to handle those situations. Sometimes you know you get, maybe, more tired than other players who are younger – who can rebound much faster but then you can manage you schedule accordingly and enjoy yourself. It’s a big part of the game actually“. Federer said.
Federer and his high respect for Martina Hingis
One key event next year for the Swiss No.1 will be the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Federer recently confirmed that he will play in the mixed doubles event alongside Martina Hingis. It is the first time that the two have played competitively together since the 2001 Hopman Cup, where they won the title. The doubles pairing is not surprising considering Federer’s high admiration for Hingis. He said that he has admired the doubles world No.1 since he was 14-years-old and expressed his excitement for next year.
“We will stay in touch and see how we have to prepare for the mixed and I am looking forward to it. I spoke to Martina two days ago and we talked about it, and I gave her the news that I am open to play and she was very excited” Federer revealed.
During this year’s edition of the Indian leg of the IPTL, Federer was edged out 6-5 (7-4) by Rafael Nadal yesterday. The former world No.1 has also stated that he is currently unsure about playing in next years IPTL in what will be a ‘busy year‘ for him.
