Federer to continue playing for two more years before taking a decision about retirement
Tennis legend Roger Federer will not retire from the sport at least for the next two years, Times of India reports.
The news comes as a respite for the tennis fans who follow the Fed Express with all their hearts. The Swiss enlisted himself to play at the Stuttgart grass-court tournament for the next two years, which made it clear that he will continue playing for the next couple of years.
Previously a clay court tournament, the Stuttgart Open was organised after Wimbledon, but they opted to hold the tournament on grass courts earlier this year. This meant that the dates of the tournament were shifted to pre-Wimbledon for the next year. The change in dates allowed Roger Federer to register for the tournament as it will take place before the grass-court Grand Slam.
"I watched the first (grass court) edition on television, it had a great atmosphere. I've always wanted to play Stuttgart, but it was always the wrong time after Wimbledon," said Federer.
"Now that they've moved dates, the chance to play the Mercedes Cup is very exciting -- I can't wait."
The Swiss maestro was also happy with the fact that an extra week has been added between the French Open and the Wimbledon. The extension gives the players some extra window to acclimate themselves to the grass-court after spending a considerable amount of time on the clay court.
"It's genius to have an extra week. It doesn't sound like much, but for us players it's a lot," said the 34-year-old.
"I love playing on grass -- always have, always will. To play another tournament on grass is great for me. I can manage my energy and schedule. It's all about winning titles."
Federer recently lost to Novak Djokovic in the ATP Tour Finals on Sunday and did not say much about his future, saying that he wants to go through the upcoming tournaments step by step.
“Wimbledon is a big one. Rio as well but it's not my number one priority. It starts with the Australian Open which is just around the corner, Once that's over then I look more towards the future.”