It could be forgiven that after such a troublesome year on the tour, Roger Federer could have pulled the curtain on his outstanding career. Then again, the Swiss is no ordinary player as the absence from the tour has only intensified his thirst for success.
This season the 35-year-old only managed to play in seven tournaments before ending his season early due to injury. In February Federer confirmed that he underwent Arthroscopic surgery on his knee after injuring it shortly after the Australian Open. Diagnosed with a torn meniscus, he missed over two months of the tour. It wasn’t just his knee that disrupted Federer’s 2016 season. Illness forced him out of the Miami Masters and a back issue made him skip the French Open. Ultimately, it was the knee that was the biggest problem, prompting him to end his season shortly after the Wimbledon championships.
The year has certainly been an unfamiliar one for the former world No.1, who had never experienced any significant injuries prior to 2016.
“It’s not 100% right yet. If so, I would have played in Basel,” Federer told local media over the weekend. “It’s definitely good that I have two more months to train fully.”
As the Swiss Indoors commence this week, Federer’s absence will be one that will be noticed by both fans and tournament officials. Since 2006 he has reached the final at every tournament, winning the title on a record seven occasions. Frustrated to not be playing in his beloved Basel, Federer has given a candid outlook about his current state of play.
“That would be fun for Andy,” he replied when asked how he would fair against Andy Murray right now. “I might win one point or another, but I do not have the strength and the coordination right now. And most importantly, I would suffer incredibly the next day. “
Mirror mirror on the wall
Who is the fastest of them all 🏃💨💨 pic.twitter.com/PtvvAvQNES— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) 8 October 2016
Regardless of the honest assessment by Federer concerning his current form, things are certainly going in the right direction. Following a strict rehabilitation routine and receiving the full support of his team. The 35-year-old is confident that he will be ready for the new season.
“I am completely on track,” Federer told Tages Anzeiger. “The hope is that in [physical] conditional I am again 100 percent almost, like with treadmill and sprints. Now we increase the intensity, and also I will start to play tennis again.”
Federer will enter his 20th season on the ATP Tour in 2017. Aiming for a January comeback ahead of the Australian Open, there are currently no signs of the 17-time grand slam champion hanging up his racket.
“I would like to play for many more years,” said Federer. “I have missed the tour. I have spent my half-life on there. I love to travel around the world. I still find it quite casual.”
So far in his remarkable career, Federer has won 88 titles on the tour. Out of those 88, 17 was at grand slams, 24 in Masters 1000 events and 6 were in the ATP Finals.
Timeline: Federer’s troublesome 2016 season
January
Brisbane International – Runner-up to Milos Raonic.
Australian Open – Semifinalist (lost to Novak Djokovic).
February
Misses the Rotterdam Open and Dubai Tennis Championships due to a knee injury.
March
Federer’s attempted comeback at the Miami Masters ends in disappointment. A stomach virus forces him out of the competition.
April
After almost three months away from the tour, Federer returned to action at the Monte Carlo Masters with back-to-back wins over Spanish players Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Roberto Bautista Agut. His run was ended in the quarter-finals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
May
Madrid Open – A back injury forces the 34-year-old out of the tournament.
Rome Open – Suffers a straight sets loss to Thiem in the third round.
French Open – A back injury forces him to withdraw. Roland Garros was the first grand slam tournament without Federer since the 1999 US Open.
June
Stuttgart Open – Semifinalist (losing to Thiem for a second time this year).
Halle Open – Semifinalist (lost to Alexander Zverev).
July
Wimbledon – In his final tournament of the year, Federer reached the last four at SW19 by dropping only two sets in his first six matches. He bowed out in five sets to Milos Raonic in the semifinals.
