Roger Federer is eyeing Olympic gold in Tokyo as part of his return to professional tennis in the new year.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has been sidelined from the Tour since January due to a right knee injury which required two surgical procedures. Federer, who currently holds the record for most weeks spent as world No.1, is set to start his comeback next month in Australia ahead of the first major of the season in Melbourne.
Looking ahead to the future, the 39-year-old stated that one of his biggest goals is to return to Japan in the summer and play in the Olympics. During a video chat with Kei Nishikori that was broadcasted on Japanese TV, he branded the Game as ‘the big one’ for him.
“The big plan is to be there for the Olympics,” he said. “This is for me the big one. Maybe selfishly for me it wasn’t a bad thing that it was moved (from 2020), because of the problems I had this year.’
“Let’s hope now for the best for the Olympic Games coming to Tokyo this next year. Clearly this is one of my big goals; I really hope I can come back to Tokyo and Japan for that. I remember winning in Tokyo in 2006 at Ariake Stadium and that will be the Olympic Stadium.”
The Tokyo Games had originally been planned to take place this year but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federer is a four-time Olympian and has already won two medals. In 2008 he claimed gold in the doubles alongside Stan Wawrinka. Four years later in London he clinched a silver in the singles competition after losing to Andy Murray in the final.
It is unclear as to what Olympic events the Swiss Maestro will play next year. Although Belinda Bencic has already said she would like to team up with him in the mixed doubles. Bencic will be bidding to become only the third female player from her country to win a medal after Martina Hingis and Timea Bacsinszky.
“I’m ready, it’s just up to Roger now,” the 23-year-old recently told Aargauer Zeitung.
“Nothing has been decided yet, everything is still very far away for me, but in addition to the Grand Slam tournaments, the Olympic Games remains one of my big goals – in singles and maybe also in mixed.
“If we stay healthy, I would like to compete with Roger.”
The Olympic tennis competition is set to begin on July 24th which is less than two weeks after Wimbledon.
