Roger Federer has lifted tennis to another level and needs a good end to his career, says Boris Becker
Boris Becker recently gave his thoughts on how Roger Federer should approach the new few months of his tour activity. Becker opined that Federer should be more selective with his tournaments during this phase, before claiming that the Swiss legend deserves a 'good end' to what has been a glittering career.
Boris Becker is a six-time Grand Slam champion, having won each of the Majors barring the French Open. Like Federer, Becker also found great success at Wimbledon, where he claimed three titles.
Roger Federer, meanwhile, is preparing to make a complete comeback (not counting Doha) at the Geneva Open next month. Federer recently announced his schedule for this year's claycourt swing, which also includes the French Open.
On a recent podcast, Becker expressed hope that Roger Federer would avoid playing an unnecessarily large number of events given his age. The German also asserted that Federer has elevated tennis to a level never seen before, which has earned him the right to go out on a high.
"I hope that Federer doesn't make the mistake of playing a lot of tournaments for the heck of it," Becker said. "He is an absolute icon and has lifted tennis to another level. Only, Federer needs a good end to his career."
Many had expected Roger Federer to take part in one of the Masters 1000 events on clay. But with the recent announcement of his schedule, it seems that the Swiss is prioritizing the recovery phase between events.
Wimbledon is the Grand Slam where Roger Federer still has the best chance of going far: Boris Becker
Boris Becker knows what it takes to win at Wimbledon. And the German believes that Roger Federer's best bet of winning another Major is at SW19.
"From my point of view, Wimbledon is the Grand Slam tournament where he still has the best chance of going far," Becker said.
Becker went on to point out that Federer hasn't lost his excitement for the sport or his magical touch. But he warned that at the Swiss' age, recovery is a much slower process.
"The sportiness is there, the feeling for the ball too, but you recover more slowly in old age," Becker continued.
The 53-year-old also gave his thoughts on Roger Federer's foot speed at the recent Qatar Open. Federer defeated Dan Evans in his opening round match but fell to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the next, and Becker claimed that the Swiss was "one step slower" at the event.