Roger Federer’s expected participation in a new team tennis event modeled after the Ryder Cup suggests he will play tennis into 2017, when he will turn 36.
Roger Federer’s expected participation in a new team tennis event modeled after the Ryder Cup suggests he will play tennis into 2017, when he will turn 36.
Christopher Clarey of the New York Times reported that Federer came up with the idea of forming the new Laver Cup, a men’s tennis event to debut in 2017 that will pit the best players from Europe against their counterparts from around the globe.
“Rod Laver is someone I’ve always thought was very inspiring,” Federer told the Times “I think it’s important to leave a legacy for the legends, and Rod Laver to me stands out because of his achievements and his character and everything. And that’s when the idea came of the Laver Cup, to name a cup after him and to also have captains which then lead a team of today’s players.”
Federer said he liked the idea of potentially having fellow European stars like his longtime rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as his teammates — maybe even his doubles partner.
“That prospect should be exciting, just by itself,” Federer said. “I’ve never played doubles with Rafa, Novak or Andy, so that could be a first there maybe, and us supporting one another, high-fiving each other. I think it could be very cool, so that’s why you have to make it meaningful.”
Federer, 34, is the all-time men’s leader with 17 Grand Slam singles titles but he hasn’t won a Major since Wimbledon in 2012. That’s a stretch of 14 Grand Slam events and counting.
In that time, Djokovic, 28, has won five Majors and will try for a sixth when he faces Murray in the Australian Open final on Sunday. Murray advanced with a four-set semifinal win over Canadian Milos Raonic on Friday, one day after Djokovic played some of his finest tennis in a four-set win over Federer.
Djokovic is seeking his 11th Major title, and could potentially have 14 by the time the calendar turns to 2017 if he were to win the calendar Grand Slam.
It remains to be seen if Federer will win his 18th Major at some point, with Wimbledon seemingly always serving as his best chance. He has lost the last two Wimbledon finals to Djokovic.
By 2017, Federer could be a part-time player who only plays selected events, such as the Laver Cup and the Majors.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
