Roger Federer Says He's Not Perfect, Talks About Retirement
Former world's no.1 Roger Federer is ready to make his return on the court after spending a vacation with his family. But before he starts hitting backhand shots, Federer shared his thoughts on him being a family man and role model, and talked about his forthcoming retirement.
After losing to Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set match in the finals of the Wimbledon Open, Federer decided to take some breather from tennis, as he took his family on a grand vacation in the Swiss Alps.
In an interview with Swiss site Sportal Sports, Federer seemed to have already moved on from the heartbreaking defeat, and is ready to start the North American hard court season, where rivals Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal are expected to spice up the competition for the Rogers Cup, Cincinnati Masters and the US Open championships.
The Swiss Master, who voted numerous times as the most popular player on the ATP tour, talked about him being projected as an ideal role model in the sport, saying he had no pressure showing to other people who he really is. He added that's he's not perfect at all as he also deals with problems on and off the court.
'I feel zero pressure because of it. I am what I am. It's quite possible that people think I'm perfect, but I'm not. I also have my problems. I often sit in the nettles and learn from it. I am very proud to represent the tennis well. And I enjoy it, to do that. If I did not have this feeling, I would stop immediately.''
At age 32, Federer remains competitive in a tour that features his Big Four rivals and up-and-coming youngsters such as Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic and Nick Kygrios. As expected, the Swiss stressed that father time is still years away, believing he's the only one who can decided whether it's time to hang his racket for good.
"If I slow down would be the end of my career? The answer is no. For me, everything goes on. Clear the priorities with the four children have moved. But my wife likes traveling and the kids do not mind. I think that it is beneficial to them," Federer on retirement.
"But who knows what, three, five years is the right time? I would like to know myself when to retire. Everything depends on my physical and mental performance."
Federer will see action in Rogers Cup, Cincinnati Masters and the US Open, where he looks to win a title in Flushing Meadows for sixth time.
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