"I don't think I need the tennis" - Roger Federer shocks as he hints retirement
Roger Federer recently returned to Wimbledon but only for a ceremony as the Swiss Maestro missed the tournament for the first time in his career.
After not playing in the All England Club for the first time in his tennis career, Roger Federer also dropped from the ATP Rankings and is currently unranked. 20-time Grand Slam champion should play at the Laver Cup and the Swiss Indoors in Basel this year, but it seems that his retirement is nearing as he also hinted in a recent interview with Dutch newspaper, Algemeen Dagblad.
"It feels very strange for me not to play Wimbledon this year and to watch it on TV, as I've been there every time since 1998. But I've been on the road for so long that it was also nice to experience a little more peace and to be in one place more often, which already happened due to the coronavirus. It gave me the opportunity to selectively sort out my travels and give something back. Many friends always came to see me, now I could turn it around."
"I am a winner lover, but if you're not competitive any more, then it's better to stop. I don't think I need the tennis. I am happy with the little things, like when my son does something right and when my daughter comes home with a good grade."
"Tennis is part of, but not my entire identity. I want to be and remain successful, and put a lot of energy into business - probably give more than I should sometimes, but that can also be done outside of sports. I know a professional career can't last forever and that's okay."
"The tennis itinerary was sometimes excessive, especially with having to organise that for the children too. It's nice to have a break from that now, and for them too, although they miss the travelling. We have friends all over the world and have developed routines for them as well. We haven't seen our friends in New York and Melbourne for a few years now."
"But I can honestly say that I am very happy at home. And that it is a great advantage that I can now make an appointment for a Tuesday morning in three weeks. And that I can actually do it without reality overtaking me. At times we miss travelling the world, and of course I also miss the sport, but also feel: life at home in a, let's say, normal way, is also good."
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