"I'm so excited, I'm about to cry" - Alex Corretja on Roger Federer's 2021 return
Roger Federer is more than just a world-class tennis player or a living legend. He is also a source of happiness for millions around the world.
Among the many fans of Roger Federer is former French Open finalist Alex Corretja. While speaking to Eurosport UK about Federer’s impending return to the court at the 2021 Australian Open, the Spaniard couldn't hide his emotions.
Accompanying Corretja on the chat was former World No. 4 Tim Henman, who also sounded extremely excited about Roger Federer being back in action next year. The Brit even went on to call Federer ‘the biggest drawcard’ in tennis.
Alex Corretja and Tim Henman express their delight at the news of Roger Federer confirming his return in 2021
Roger Federer has been away from tennis for eight months already, and by the time he returns next year he would have been gone for a full year. This will be the longest injury-related break he’s had in his entire tennis career.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has long expressed his desire to make his comeback at the 2021 Australian Open, a Grand Slam where he’s enjoyed remarkable success in recent years. And in a recent interaction with one of his sponsors, Roger Federer all but confirmed his participation at Melbourne next year
This news came as music to the ears of Alex Corretja.
“I’m so excited, I’m about to cry,” Corretja said. “Because I mean we are missing Roger you know, his elegance. Only by seeing Roger even walking next to you, it makes you feel like something is going to happen.”
Corretja went on to elaborate why the idea of Federer’s return filled him with a certain childlike joy. For him, when the Swiss star is in action, it feels like he is ‘dancing on the court’.
“Then when you see him play, he’s like dancing on the court and this is something so good,” Corretja added. “He’s gonna turn what 40 next year and he still has the will to go play and show us that he is capable to win slams. So hopefully he is gonna recover very good.”
Not to be left out, Tim Henman also showered lavish praise on Roger Federer. The Brit believes that the Swiss legend is tennis’s biggest attraction, and that the news of his return is 'really exciting'.
“Yeah it’s massive, I still think he’s the biggest draw card in our sport,” Henman said. “He’s been out of action for so long so you know fingers crossed he’s going through his rehab process. But it's really exciting when you hear him say that he is keen to get back out there and fingers crossed everything can go according to plan for Australian Open.”