'Didn't think it was going to take this long' - Federer hopeful on Wimbledon return
Roger Federer was back on Wimbledon's Centre Court on Sunday. He hoped to return to the venue as a player next year.
Follow20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer of Switzerland surprised his fans when he returned to the Centre Court of Wimbledon on Sunday to celebrate the 100 years of the court. Federer did play in the grass-court Grand Slam last year, losing in the quarterfinal to Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in straight sets. Since then, he has been out of competitive action for a year, having undergone knee surgery, which has witnessed a long road to recovery for the 40-year-old. Nonetheless, the Swiss is optimistic about returning to the court for one more time as a player, where he has won eight championships.
During the ceremony, Federer was asked by John McEnroe and Sue Barker about his chances of a return to the court as a player, to which he replied, Â "I hope I can come back one more time. I've been lucky enough to play many matches on this court. It feels awkward to be here today in a different type of role."
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"It's great to be here with all the other champions. This court has given me my biggest wins and my biggest losses. I maybe didn't think it would take this long to come back. The knee has been rough on me. It's been a good year regardless of tennis. We're happy at home. I didn't know if I should make the trip, but I'm happy standing here right now," concluded Federer.
Federer has confirmed that he will be returning to competitive tennis action during Swiss Indoors at Basel this year, while he will be making his full-time return to the ATP Tour next year. Federer has dropped to the 97th rank in ATP Singles after being out of action for so long, as fans desperately await his return to the court.
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