"Roger Federer's going to make every effort to come back, he's still hungry" - Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas believes that while Roger Federer is satisfied with the career he has had thus far, the Swiss still has a burning desire to make another comeback on tour and retire on his own terms.
The 40-year-old has faced a rough couple of years on tour. Federer made his comeback from a double-knee surgery earlier this year but struggled for form and fitness.
The Swiss aggravated his knee injury during Wimbledon after which he called an end to his season. Following the move, many believed Federer's career was as good as over, considering his age and constant battles with injury.
But Tommy Haas, a former Wimbledon semifinalist, believes Federer will leave no stone unturned in his battle to return to the court and give it one last shot at the All England Club.
“We saw at Wimbledon that he was a little bit injured, he wasn’t moving as well as usual," Tommy Haas said in an interview with L'Equipe. "But he’s going to make every effort to come back. I’m 100 per cent sure that the goal is Wimbledon. It’s his best surface to go far again, again."
The German pointed out that the Swiss is still "hungry" for success and wants the luxury of ending his illustrious career on his own terms.
“He’s happy,” Haas added. “He has no reason not to be. He knows that, there’s a lot of gratitude in him. He loves life. But he’s still hungry. He still hopes he can come back. He wants to stop when he wants to, to decide when it’s time to say you don’t like it anymore (because) you lose too much.”
Tommy Haas believes Roger Federer will have a clearer picture on his future sometime next year
Roger Federer underwent a third knee surgery a few weeks ago and was pictured using crutches during the recent Laver Cup.
Tommy Haas, on his part, believes that Federer's comeback plans entirely depend on how well the Swiss recovers from the surgery. The German doesn't envision Federer having a clear picture of his future until March next year at the earliest.
“It’s all going to depend on how he (Roger Federer) can overcome that (knee surgery) physically,” Tommy Haas said. “We’ll have an element of an answer in March, April, May.”