Roger Federer is still not a surefire starter for the Laver Cup despite announcing the tournament would be his last before retiring.
The 41-year-old Swiss maestro surprised the world when he announced he was retiring after his recent injury drama left him sidelined.
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The Swiss maestro may no longer be the most successful Grand Slam winner in history, but he won 20 major titles in his career and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Hard work has caught up with him in recent years as he has collapsed at multiple starts and stops in recent seasons as knee injuries take their toll.
In July at Wimbledon, Federer revealed he was hoping to date another trip to the All-England Club but announced a month later that he would undergo another knee operation that would leave him sidelined “for many months”.
However, he was named for Team Europe at the event for the Laver Cup along with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, as well as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud, while Matteo Berrettini is a substitute if Federer is out.
Federer’s fitness coach Pierre Paganini revealed that the legendary star is still in the running to be ready to play in his final tournament.
“He’ll probably decide at the last moment if he plays,” Paganini told Blick.
“He’s trained to have as much information as possible about whether it’s a good idea or not. I am happy.”
Federer’s coach Severin Lüthi admitted that Federer was hoping to play a singles or doubles match at the event.
“It’s not definitive yet, but he trained hard last week and is training again this week,” Lüthi said to Blick.
“His aim is to play something – whether singles or doubles, we’ll have to see that, but his aim is still to play at the Laver Cup – definitely. We have three hours in the morning. Trained and two hours of training in the afternoon, I want to do my job well.”
Paganini said the retirement was not surprising, revealing that Federer had been considering retiring since July.
“It’s about a person and the very personal decision not to play professional tennis anymore,” Paganini said of whether he advised Federer to consider retiring.
: We trainers are companions, lived with him, had everyday conversations, gave feedback. But of course at some point you sensed in which direction it was going.
“It was an emotional moment. It is discussed soberly. But at the same time you can feel with every fiber that this is an incredibly emotional topic. That’s a decision a player doesn’t make ten times in their life, but exactly once.
“That’s where the emotions come into play and you can feel that there is a person behind the tennis player. Roger has deep feelings and he can show them. That is beautiful.”
The tennis world was quick to pay tribute to Federer when he announced his exit from the sport, including his biggest rivals in Nadal and Djokovic.
“I wish this day had never come,” Nadal tweeted.
“It’s a sad day for me personally and for sport around the world. It has been a pleasure but also an honor and a privilege to share all these years with you and experience so many amazing moments on and off the pitch.
Djokovic added: “Her career has set the tone for what it means to achieve excellence and lead with integrity and composure.
“It’s an honor to know you on and off the pitch and for many more years to come.”
Federer won the last of his Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2018 and last played in a grand final at Wimbledon three years ago, where he lost to Djokovic despite having two championship points.
With AFP
