Roger Federer spotted back on court despite injury leaving him scared
Roger Federer: The fans are the centre of everything
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Roger Federer has been spotted hitting balls on a tennis court despite recently admitting that he is ‘scared’ to take part in sport as a result of his long-term knee problems. The Swiss legend called time on his professional tennis career earlier this year and was given an emotional send-off at the Laver Cup alongside the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic back in September.
Federer’s decision to retire came shortly after a 14-month layoff, during which he underwent a third operation to repair a chronic knee injury, although he wasted no time in returning to the public eye at a recent sponsor event in Tokyo. He has since been practicing on the court at the John McEnroe Academy in New York, with a short video clip on Twitter showing the 41-year-old returning some balls from the baseline.
It seems as though Federer is still keen to play tennis in a casual environment despite calling time on the sport three months ago, although the 20-time Grand Slam winner insisted last week that he remains fearful of causing further damage to his knee by staying active in his retirement.
“I’m still a bit scared when it comes to other sports,” confessed Federer in Tokyo. “My knees are so-so, so that has to wait.”
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Federer was speaking at a Q&A session with a number of fans and went on to explain that he feels relieved to be free of the stress caused by the relentless nature of the ATP Tour, which he believes is partly responsible for causing mental health problems for several players in recent years.
He added: “In the past, holidays always had to be relaxing because my tour life was so stressful. Now the holidays can be more adventurous.
“As a tennis player you’re always thinking about your next practice, your next match. It never lets you go, your next travel, your next packing. I don’t think I was that much aware of it, how much that thought is always there, and it rides with you, until you retire and then you realise that stress all drops away.
“The tour is tough. The travel, the practice, the jetlag. Nobody is allowed to say, ‘I’m tired today,’ because it looks like you’re weak, and that’s why players sometimes end up with mental problems. You’re supposed to show strength. But we’re not machines, we’re human beings.”
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