After 15 years on the circuit, Kevin Anderson had decided to put an end to his career following the Masters 1000 de Miami in March 2022. But as Caroline Wozniacki, who announced his return a few weeks ago, the South African is about to come out of retirement. Aged 37, the native of Johannesburg has not finished writing its history. To begin his return to the circuit, Anderson received an invitation to play theATP 250 of Newport. A tournament he won in 2021. This is also his last title. He will start this Tuesday against the young Canadian Gabriel Diallo.
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Find here the table of the ATP 250 of Newport
“I ended up having a great conversation with Roger”
The comeback story of Kevin Anderson is not insignificant. The South African told the ATP that the illustrious Roger Federer played a role in this decision:I was knocking, just me and my friend. I said to myself that I felt very good“, Anderson told ATPTour.com. “And at the end of training, Roger Federer was visiting town. He came to the courts and it was a very profound experience. For me, I feel like watching my career, I’ve always been quite intimidated by some of the top players. I think coming from South Africa and not really being exposed to the top players in the world, I’ve always been a bit intimidated. And it was really interesting, because from the first minutes of our conversation, I felt the same kind of uneasiness, I felt very weird.”
“If I could have rebuilt my career, I probably wouldn’t have spent so many hours on myself on the training ground, but rather interacting or putting myself in situation. I ended up having a great conversation with Roger and for the first time I felt really comfortable and had a normal conversation, it was fascinating to listen to him, who is arguably the best player ever, and hearing what he had to say was a really cool experience. I think before that I was thinking maybe I should come back.”
NOT DONE YET 🔥 @KAndersonATP has accepted a wild card for the #InfosysHallofFameOpen and will make his return to the @atptour in Newport!
Welcome back to our 2021 Champion!
➡�’� pic.twitter.com/H34CZ6bqkF
— International Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) July 7, 2023
“Coming back now, honestly, there’s a lot of uncertainty“
“I’m relaxed, I’m loose, I’m really using all my abilities“, said Anderson. “I think we sometimes forget, in professional sport and in tennis, that it’s all about knowing how far you can go. And the reality is that… if you take the best players in the world, especially Novak, Rafa and Roger, people always say they raise their level. Actually, I don’t agree with that. I feel like they’re able to use the abilities they have in the craziest moments, and the biggest moments in Grand Slam finals, and they’re just very present. I think that’s what really separates them.”
“Going back now, honestly, there are a lot of uncertainties. I don’t have a ranking, I’m counting on potentially getting a few wild cards over the summer. So I will come and participate in the competition, that’s for sure. But to be honest, the result is not my main goal. The primary goal is really to learn throughout this process. There will be a lot of different challenges along the way, which I keep my eyes peeled.”
“Winning the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in 2021 was a special moment for me. I couldn’t think of a better place to make my comeback, and I’m excited to hit the grass once again.”
Welcome back @KAndersonATP �’�
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 7, 2023
2023-07-18 14:05:37
#ATP #Kevin #Andersons #comeback #Roger #Federer
