Legendary Roger Federer believes his two contemporaries Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are capable of competing at major events in the coming years.
Federer said the rise of young talent is waking up Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal – who are in the twilight of their careers. "It's a great time for tennis, the quality of the game is much higher than before. There are so many great players, both young and old," he said.
Nadal will likely retire in 2024, two years after Federer leaves the game. Photo: ATP
Federer hopes Nadal will recover soon and return to top competition. "I look forward to seeing Nadal play, and Andy Murray too," said the Swiss legend. "Murray has just won a Challenge tournament while everyone is focusing on Djokovic's 23 Grand Slams. I think that's a respectable achievement for Murray. I'm glad he can still play. Wimbledon will be a good place for him to play many matches."
Federer will retire in September 2022, after the Laver Cup team event with the participation of all the "Big 4". Of the four outstanding tennis players of the 21st century, Murray has the least titles but is the only one to have a complete collection of major titles including Grand Slam, ATP Finals, Masters 1000 and Olympic gold medal. Federer and Djokovic lack Olympic men's singles gold medals, while Nadal has not won the ATP Finals.
Murray retired to treat a hip injury, then returned to play with a metal hip. He has been playing tournaments consistently for over a year, winning smaller events and climbing to 38th in the ATP rankings.
Nadal is recovering from hip surgery on June 3. The Spaniard has missed most of this season since losing early at the Australian Open. Nadal is unlikely to return until 2024, the season in which the "King of Clay" is expected to announce his retirement. The long layoff has caused Nadal to drop out of the world's top 100.
While his contemporaries have retired or are struggling with fitness, Djokovic is still at his peak. The Serbian has just won a record 23 Grand Slam titles and has the chance to extend his record at Wimbledon next month. Djokovic has the chance to equal Federer's record of eight Grand Slam grass court titles, thereby increasing the Grand Slam gap with Nadal.
Vy Anh
Source link
Comment (0)