The return of Roger Federer is almost upon us with the 17-time grand slam champion making his final preparations for the upcoming Hopman Cup in Perth.
Sideline from the tour since the summer due to a troublesome knee injury, Federer will end his five-month hiatus at the Perth Arena when he teams up with Belinda Bencic. Making his first appearance since 2002, the Swiss player has already received a hero’s welcome. On Thursday an estimated 6000 fans turned up to watch his practice session, which was opened to the public for free.
Regarded as one of the most influential tennis players of the Open Era, few can dispute Federer’s power in the tennis world with his 88 ATP titles. It is a sobering fact that he is reaching the closing stages of what has been a record-breaking career. Nevertheless, the 35-year-old isn’t ready to hang up his racket yet.
“I don’t see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be.” Said Federer.
“I’m really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so. So my mindset is for the long-term.
“I’m really positive about how I’m feeling right now, and practice is going well.”
Just how long Federer has on the tour is uncertain as injuries start to feature more prominently. He still has the ability to compete with the best in the world and attract thousands of people to watch him play. A recent webcast of his Dubai practice session with Lucas Pouille attracted over one million views according to data provided by Periscope.
The ultimate dream in Federer’s 2017 comeback would be if he was to win a major title. Despite claiming a record 17 grand slam trophies, his last triumph occurred over four years ago at the 2012 Wimbledon championships. The prospect of number 18 is something that the Swiss player in relishing.
“Winning titles is a beautiful feeling, rankings at the moments … completely secondary,” said Federer, who has slipped to 16th in the ATP rankings.
“As long as I’m healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage.”
Federer’s start to his new season will begin on Monday when Switzerland plays Great Britain in their first match at the Hopman Cup. He is bidding to win his second title in Perth after clinching the 2001 tournament with Martina Hingis.
