Hopefully the Laver Cup and Swiss Indoors is a catalyst for Roger Federer to play more in 2023: Tim Henman
Tim Henman is looking forward to Roger Federer's return to the court and hopes the Swiss can get a farewell befitting of his stellar career. The Swiss underwent a third surgery on his right knee following a straight-sets loss to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon last year.
The 40-year-old has been on the sidelines since, spending time in rehab and training ahead of his return later this year. In an interview with Eurosport, Henman said that he hopes the Swiss can use the Laver Cup and Swiss Indoors as "stepping stones" to play more frequently next season.
Federer is also set to play at the Swiss Indoors in October, a tournament he has won 10 times. He is on the entry list for the event with a protected ranking of No. 9. The tournament, set to be played for the first time since 2019, starts on October 24.
“I think from what everyone is hearing that the Laver Cup will be in London, which is exciting and probably the Swiss indoors in Basel. Hopefully, that is a stepping stone to playing more in 2023 for Federer,” Henman said.
Roger Federer is unlikely to feature at Wimbledon this year
Speaking further on Federer's comeback, Tim Henman said that the Swiss will likely not feature at Wimbledon this year. He added that he hoped to see Federer return to compete at the biggest events on tour.
"I think it is very unlikely that Federer will be at Wimbledon this year. I think [we’ll see him soon]; he’s very close to the end of his career I am sure, but hopefully he can be out there and compete in some of the biggest and best tournaments,” Henman said.
Skipping the French Open this year due to injury, the Swiss has competed at the French Open just twice since 2015. He skipped the entire clay season in both 2017 and 2018 to minimize injuries and prolong his career.
Rafa. Roger. Respect.
#RG19 https://t.co/olQ7V6BxXL
He competed on clay in 2019, making it to the French Open semifinals where he lost to Rafael Nadal in straight sets. He then skipped the tournament in 2020 due to a knee injury. He reached the fourth round of the 2021 French Open and was slated to play Matteo Berrettini, but withdrew from the match to boost his chances for Wimbledon.