Severin Luthi reveals Roger Federer will resume racket training this week with wife Mirka, but says he "can't imagine" the Swiss playing Wimbledon
Roger Federer's coach Severin Luthi provided an update on the Swiss legend's rehabilitation progress in a recent interview with Tages Anzeiger. Luthi warned that Wimbledon participation is still a distant dream for the eight-time champion while revealing that the 40-year-old will return to racket training this week, supported by wife Mirka.
Incidentally, Wimbledon was Federer's last tournament on tour, following which he underwent surgery on his knee for the third time in the space of 18 months. Once the former World No. 1 went under the knife, many fans believed he would not play again.
However, Federer has stressed on multiple occasions that he is keen to make one last comeback. Given his love for Wimbledon and grasscourt tennis, it seemed ideal for him to target a return to the SW19 this year in June.
But Severin Luthi believes that the Championships might come a tad too soon for his charge.
“At the moment I don’t see how he should play in Wimbledon either," Severin Luthi said. "I'm not the one who says: impossible. But I can't imagine it at the moment."
During the interview, Luthi revealed that Federer would resume racket training with his wife Mirka this week. According to the 46-year-old, Federer passed on this information to him via a telephonic conversation on Sunday.
Mirka is herself a former top-100 player, and Luthi believes it is key for his charge to "slowly" find his feet again.
"The main thing for him is to slowly get back in," Luthi said.
"Roger Federer's still in the rehabilitation phase" - Severin Luthi
During the interview, Severin Luthi revealed that Roger Federer is still undergoing rehabilitation. But he provided a glimmer of hope by revealing that the 40-year-old has managed to beef up his entire body and not just his leg muscles.
"He's still in the rehabilitation phase," said Luthi. “He can always do more, is actively working. Not only the muscles of the knee or leg are built up, but the whole body is strengthened. It's a real conditioning program."
Luthi said the Swiss maestro is yet to resume strenuous physical work with his fitness trainer Pierre Paganini, but stressed that his charge remains in contact at all times with Paganini.
“But he (Federer) is also in contact with him (Paganini),” Luthi added.
Luthi claimed that he too remains in constant contact with the World No. 27 even though they don't talk on the phone daily.
"We don't talk on the phone every day, but we keep in touch from time to time and meet up every now and then," revealed Luthi