Federer: “I don't know if I will return (…) and I don't know if I will go to the Games”

Serious, but not sunk, Roger Federer appeared at a press conference after falling quite hard in the Wimbledon quarterfinals against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz. The Swiss did not clear the unknowns that surround him as to his future participation or not in the British Grand Slam or about the possibility of him being part of the Swiss team at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I don't know. I really don't know,” he answered the question about whether this Wednesday had been his last game at the All England Club center. “My goal was always, this last year and before, to try to play another Wimbledon. The initial goal, as you know, was to play last year. Anyway, that was never going to happen. Besides, the pandemic came,” continued the Helvetic. “I was able to do it this year, which I am very happy about. Like I said, we would sit down and talk about what comes next when the tournament is over for me. I'm going to take a few days, although we'll talk a little about it tonight, depending on how I feel. The next few days too. The key is to ask yourself, what do I have to do to be in better shape and be more competitive? ” The winner of 20 Grand Slams does not believe that the problem is the lack of matches: “I need to be a better player if I want to be more competitive at the highest of levels.”

Nor did he want to confirm whether his withdrawal is close: “It's just about having perspective. You know you need a goal when you are going through rehab like the one I did. You cannot think of climbing the entire mountain at once. You have to go by steps. Wimbledon was the first initial super step. I hope that doesn't happen. The goal is to play, of course. “

“I am happy to have gone far”

Despite the defeat, Federer is “very happy to have come this far.” “Also to play at the level that I did after everything I went through. Of course I would like to play here again, but at my age (almost 40 years old) you are never sure what awaits you when you come back from school. corner”. About the Games, Roger insisted along the same lines: “No, no, as I explained before, I am going to take a couple of days and sit and think. Sorry if I am repetitive. I said I'd wait until Wimbledon is over and it's over. I haven't made a decision yet on where we go from here. I hope to make an announcement sooner rather than later, of course, also for me and everyone, my family and my team, etc “. The fact is that it is on the Swiss list for Tokyo 2020 and also on the Olympic tournament drawn up by the International Federation (ITF).