BEVERLY HILLS, February 02, (THEWILL) – In this unusual calendar of sport events, many of which are disrupted by the observance of health and safety protocols against the coronavirus, regular start and finish dates have necessarily been altered often to allow for periods of quarantining to help organisers test for COVID-19 before the events proper begin. This was recently the case in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open.
In the traditional Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) calendar, the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha is one of the events that opens each season. It was not so this year. When Tennis Australia delayed the first Grand Slam of the year to accommodate local COVID-19 protocols, Doha organisers decided to move back the tournament to March.
That shift has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. A two-month shift was all the time Swiss tennis maestro, Roger Federer, needed to return court-side, giving Doha an unexpected benefit. The long-standing tournament will see Federer’s return from a pair of right knee surgeries.
In an interview, the 20-time major champion, Federer, confirmed the news when he said: “I want to celebrate great victories again. And for that I am ready to go the long, hard road. I wanted to make my comeback at a smaller tournament so that I wasn’t fully in focus and where the stress is also a little less.”
The 39-year-old has not played since losing to world number one Novak Djokovic in last year’s Australian Open semi-finals. The Swiss superstar admitted he kept up to date with the game more than anticipated during his time away from the tour.
“I actually thought that I would not follow the sport very much and would be busy with my children and my rehab. I was surprised that I kept checking results and watching matches. And normally I don’t do that at all if I don’t take part in a tournament.”
Federer is a three-time former champion in Doha, triumphing in 2005, 2006 and 2011. His last appearance came nine years ago, when he withdrew ahead of his semi-final with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga due to a back injury, which he successfully treated.
THEWILL notes that the possibility exists that, with time catching up on him as he approaches the ripe old age of 40, this may just be Roger Federer’s final year on tour.
The Swiss tennis pro appears to have given himself a good chance of persisting in the game that has brought him fame and fortune after taking plenty of time off and not rushing his comeback at the Australian Open to allow nature replenish what strain his body endured at a result of those surgeries.
Yet, the question remains, how far can his will to continue take him in a field of younger, hungrier and ambitious players with an eye on his record? Only time will tell how his body will react. As is usual whenever he comes on court, and moreso now, all eyes will be on him to see how he performs whether he desires to be “fully in focus” or not.
It cannot be taken from him, the man’s proclivity to outdo himself. In an unpredictable year as this, there is a chance Federer could do something special, but he needs his body to cooperate with the magic his mind can conjure.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
