Severin Luthi says retirement is not on Roger Federer's mind, but warns against expectations of a 2017 repeat
Roger Federer gave his fans and the tennis fraternity a much-needed update about his recovery phase last week. During the opening ceremony of the Lindt Museum, Federer revealed that he was going to resume tennis training in the coming week.
The Swiss' good friend and coach Severin Luthi has now shed more light on the matter during an interview with Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Luthi revealed that the rehab was going as planned and that everything was normal.
He also spoke about the dreaded R-word and assured fans that this difficult phase hadn't given rise to that thought in Federer's mind.
Luthi also later touched upon the prospect of a repeat of 2017, but didn’t seem too optimistic about it.
Roger Federer started physiotherapy the day after operation: Severin Luthi
There were some initial concerns among fans when it was revealed by Federer - during his trip to the Lindt Museum - that he was yet to begin tennis training. Some fans believed that their idol had perhaps suffered another setback in rehab since Luthi had earlier mentioned that the World No. 4 was set to resume tennis training in mid-August.
However, Luthi has allayed all these fears by calling the rehab process ‘normal’. Roger Federer’s coach also revealed that the celebrated Swiss had begun his physiotherapy as early as the day after his operation, and that he was was currently working hard to achieve full physical fitness.
“Rehabilitation is normal. As with everyone, there are good days and bad days after a procedure,” Luthi said. “Roger started physiotherapy the day after the operation. At the moment the focus is on achieving full physical fitness again.”
As for when Roger Federer will resume full-tilt training, Luthi has set the deadline for this October. He stressed on the fact that the Swiss still had plenty of time to get back in shape for the 2021 season.
“Our plan is to be back on the court regularly from the beginning of October," Luthi continued. "Because one thing is clear: he needs training hours on the court before his comeback. We still have enough time."
Roger Federer wants to take his time: Severin Luthi
With Roger Federer requiring two surgeries on his right knee at the age of 38, many felt that the Swiss’ career was set to end soon. But that was not the case in Federer's mind, according to Luthi.
“Retirement was never a serious issue. But as I said: Roger wants to take his time. We agreed from the start not to let ourselves be stressed,” Luthi said.
When Roger Federer came back from injury in 2017, he stunned the world by producing one of the finest seasons of his career. The 2017 Australian Open especially comes to mind, where Federer defeated a host of top players including Rafael Nadal to win his 18th Major.
For Luthi, that was almost as good as a miracle, and he hinted that a repeat could be tougher this time around given how the Next Gen stars are improving.
"Let's be honest: what he did in Melbourne in 2017 bordered on a miracle," Luthi said. "To win one of the biggest tournaments with practically no competition practice, that was extraordinary. Federer is an exceptional talent. But his competitors are all very good tennis players. The younger ones in particular are constantly developing."