‘Practice world champion’ Roger Federer wants to be king on the court again
The 35-year-old is eager to get back to competition after a 10-week layoff with sights set on a 19th grand slam title at Wimbledon
Sticking to a limited schedule has helped Roger Federer enjoy a renaissance late in his career but the Swiss says rest time is now over and he is looking forward to returning to action at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.
The 35-year-old was ruled out for six months last year as he recovered from a knee injury but made a winning return this season at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami before opting out of the entire clay-court season.
The former world number one is eager to get back to competition in 2017 after a 10-week layoff.
“There are no more breaks now,” Federer told the ATP’s official website.
“I’ve had enough breaks. I’m a practice world champion now and that’s not who I want to be. I want to be a champ on the match courts.
“So I’m going to be playing a regular schedule for the second part of the season ... And this is the beginning here at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.”