Roger Federer turns down invitation to attend Australian Open 2023
Roger Federer will not attend the 2023 Australian Open after officially refusing an invitation from Tennis Australia.
The Swiss maestro has been a consistent face at the Melbourne Grand Slam over the years and participated in all editions from 2000 to 2020. However, he had to skip the tournament in 2021 and 2022 owing to injury troubles. The 41-year-old won six of his 20 Grand Slam titles Down Under, the second most by a player in the men's singles, behind Novak Djokovic (9).
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Tennis Australia relentlessly tried to persuade the former World No. 1 to attend the tournament at Melbourne Park, which is set to commence on January 16. However, Federer made it clear that he would rather spend his early days after retirement at home with his family.
Efforts to convince the 20-time Grand Slam champion to show up at the first major tournament of 2023 began back at the 2022 Laver Cup, during the Swiss player's farewell match. On the occasion of his final match, a Tennis Australia official told the Herald that:
“The welcome mat will always be rolled out for Roger”
While the objective has not worked for the organizers this time around, they are confident that Federer will attend the Australian Open in 2024. They plan to make the event grand and memorable as it will mark two decades since the Swiss went on to win the first of his six major trophies in Australia.
"He is still staying active and he feels good" - Roger Federer's former coach Ivan Ljubicic on Swiss maestro's life post-retirement
Roger Federer's former coach Ivan Ljubicic revealed that the Swiss legend is still actively playing tennis on the courts whenever he gets the opportunity.
The former World No. 1 retired from tennis after the 2022 Laver Cup. In his last match, he paired up with Rafael Nadal for a doubles match against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
In The Tennis Podcast featuring Marion Bartoli, Ljubicic conveyed that the 41-year-old has been practicing on the tennis courts and is "still staying active."
"He still practices when he can, he is still staying active, and he feels good. His life hasn't changed much. I know he would like to have fun on the tennis courts, that's the place where he feels the best," said the Croatian.