Roger Federer hints at withdrawing from Roland Garros after fitness worries

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3 years ago

Roger Federer unsure about his fitness after a grueling 4-set win

Roger Federer casts doubts about his participation in the Round of 16 of Roland Garros after beating Dominik Koepfer in a 3hr 35 mins match.

Federer turns 40 in August and became the oldest player in the fourth round at a Major since Ken Rosewall in 1978. He faces Italian Mattero Berretini in the 4th round.

Berretini is part of the LJ Sports Group, a sports management company run by Ivan Ljubicic. Ljubicic has been coaching Federer since 2016.

Federer played a tough game against Koepfer and won 7-6, 6-7, 7-6,7-5. The Swiss maestro seemed to be struggling with fitness issues after playing only three competitive games in 2021. (h/t Roland Garros )

“It wasn’t easy for me to go out tonight. It was a lot of firsts for me – playing against Koepfer in my first night session here in Paris, the first time with no fans in a long time, or ever in my career. That was definitely very unique in many ways, and I’m happy I found a way.”

“I pushed as much as I could, as we thought was reasonable. Today’s match was a huge step forward for the team and for all of us. I didn’t expect to win three matches here and sort of back up a good performance against Cilic as well in completely different circumstances tonight,” he added.

Federer has looked at his best in the opening matches at Roland Garros

Federer had a dominant start to the tournament winning in straight sets against Dennis Istomin. He fought back against Marin Cilic, in a repeat of the 2018 Australian Open final.

Federer’s Biggest Chance at Wimbeldon

Roger Federer is dubbed the ‘King of SW19’, after winning 8 Wimbledon titles in his glorious career. He made his return in 2017, after a long injury spell and won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in the same year. It will be a tougher task this time out, as Federer lacks match practice.

Federer beat Cilic in the Wimbledon final to win his 20th Grand Slam

This is certainly Federer’s best chance of a Grand Slam. He made his debut in 1999 and is nearing the end of his illustrious career.

Federer looks to ready himself for the Wimbledon Championship. The Championships returns after a one year layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He will be looking to keep himself fit as he bids to bow out on a high.