“I Don’t Think I Need The Tennis”: Did Roger Federer Hint At Retirement? | Tennis News

Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer last played a competitive match at Wimbledon last year, when he lost in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. The 40-year-old then had his third knee surgery in 18 months and has been recuperating since. As Federer missed this year’s edition of Wimbledon, more questions are arising as to whether the 20-time Grand Slam winner will ever compete again. Adding more fuel to the speculations of his retirement, Federer has said that he doesn’t “need the tennis” anymore and is happy with “the little things”.

“I am a winner lover (sic), but if you’re not competitive any more, then it’s better to stop. I don’t think I need the tennis. I am happy with the little things, like when my son does something right and when my daughter comes home with a good grade,” Federer was quoted as telling Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad by Eurosport.

“Tennis is part of, but not my entire identity,” he went on to add.

“I want to be and remain successful, and put a lot of energy into business – probably give more than I should sometimes, but that can also be done outside of sports,” he said.

“I know a professional career can’t last forever and that’s okay,” Federer concluded.

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He also spoke about missing this year’s Wimbledon.

“It feels very strange for me not to play Wimbledon this year and to watch it on TV, as I’ve been there every time since 1998. But I’ve been on the road for so long that it was also nice to experience a little more peace and to be in one place more often, which already happened due to the coronavirus,” he said.