In exactly two weeks time Roger Federer will kick-off his 2017 season against Great Britain in the Hopman Cup. The highly anticipated return of the 17-time grand slam champion is gathering momentum and he has a special treat in store for his fans leading up to the event.
On Thursday, December 22nd, Federer will stream his practice session live on the internet followed by answering questions from fans. The plan was initially reported during an interview Federer conducted with The New York Times before he made a formal announcement on his social media accounts on Monday afternoon.
I know you haven’t heard much from me while I’ve been recovering. Thrilled to be returning to 🎾 in Jan @hopmancup. Feeling healthy & ready!
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) December 19, 2016
As a special thanks to my fans who’ve been supporting me, on Thur 22nd @ 2pm Dubai 🕐, I’ll broadcast my practice LIVE on Twitter & Periscope
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) December 19, 2016
I missed seeing you all in the second half of 2016. But hopefully you can join one of my last practices in 2016 LIVE before 2017 kicks off!
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) December 19, 2016
The 35-year-old hasn’t played a competitive match since the semifinals of the Wimbledon championships after ending his season early due to ongoing issues with his knee. Next year will be the first year where the Swiss player will start ranked outside the top 10 since 2002.
Looking ahead to 2017, Federer has given an insight into his schedule during the second part of his interview with The New York Times. Currently his plans are reliant on how his body holds up in the first couple tournaments of the new season. He has also confirmed that nothing has been arranged regarding the clay-court season.
“For the moment, it looks like the Hopman Cup, Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami.” Said Federer.
“The clay-court season, I’ve got no clue. Grass, it would be Stuttgart, Halle, Wimbledon and that kind of stuff, but let’s see what happens in the first two to five events, and then I’ll have more answers.”
“ I wish I could tell you I’m going to play 52 tournaments in a row, but let’s not go crazy here.”
So far Federer has won 88 ATP titles in his career, a tally which has only been surpassed by Ivan Lendl (94) and Jimmy Connors (109).
How do I watch the Roger Federer stream?
Date: Thursday 22nd December
Time: 14:00 (GMT+4)
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Stream: https://twitter.com/rogerfederer or https://www.periscope.tv/rogerfederer
What to expect: Roger Federer training followed by a question and answer session.
