When Roger Federer made the decision to retire (Provided by Tennis World FR)
Coach Ivan Ljubicic says Roger Federer only decided to retire when he realized and accepted that his body couldn’t take it anymore.
Federer, 41, underwent two right knee surgeries in 2020 but returned to tennis the following year. After appearing in just five tournaments, Federer has announced a third knee surgery after Wimbledon 2021.
Unfortunately, Federer’s recovery has not progressed as expected and the Swiss announced last September that he would be retiring from the Laver Cup. “He loves tennis so much and he is so talented that nothing could happen on the court that would cause him to give up.
If he hadn’t been injured, he would have continued to win. And then he would have continued to play. It’s like Rafa for him. I don’t know if Rafa will come back or not. They love this sport so much that they practice it as long as they can.
Until the body stops them. Unfortunately,” Ljubicic told Tages Anzeiger.
Ljubicic: Federer did his best to make a successful comeback
Federer’s first knee surgery was in 2016 – when the Swiss returned in 2017, he won three Grand Slams in the following 12 months. After Federer’s knee problems reappeared in early 2020, the Swiss once again embarked on rehab and did his best to get in a position to play again.
But last year there was a moment when Federer accepted that his knee wasn’t recovering well and it was time to step away from professional tennis.” He squeezed the lemon all the way. I was impressed with how he fought back after his operations and spent hours on those tedious, monotonous drills.
Four or five hours a day, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hit balls until months later. You have to be strong mentally to do that. And no one guarantees that you will play again.
He believed in it until the last moment. And if it doesn’t work anymore, just accept it. It was the only way to end his career,” Ljubicic said.
2023-07-20 19:09:34
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