Published 13:42 IST, February 1st 2021
Roger Federer interested to play in Olympics, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic doubtful
In the 21 years of his career, just one major title has evaded Roger Federer - the Olympic singles gold. And 2021 may be his last shot at winning it.
20-time Grand Slam champion, most weeks ranked as the No.1 player in the world and a career Grand Slam - these are just some of the records Roger Federer has created over the course of his career. However, in these 21 years, there has always been one title that has evaded the Swiss Maestro - the Olympic singles gold. In what has been a tumultuous year for the world, 39-year-old Roger Federer has been dealt a good hand that will allow him to go into the Olympics more well-rested and better prepared than most of his major rivals. With the tournament scheduled for July, it remains to be seen if Federer can seize this opportunity to add a final chapter to his legacy.
Roger Federer eyeing Olympics amid Rafa, Djokovic uncertainty
Even in the most optimistic minds, the 2021 Olympics will in all probability be the last one that has Roger Federer in the fray. Recovering from a knee surgery since early 2020, Federer would have missed his chance to give the tournament a last shot had it not been for the pandemic. Speaking at an event last month, Federer admitted that " A big plan is to be there (in Japan) for the Olympics. You know, this is for me the big one. Maybe selfishly for me, it has not been a bad thing that it was actually moved a little, you know because of the problems I had last year".
The closest Federer has come to the Olympic gold is at the London Olympics in 2012, where he was defeated by Andy Murray. If he manages to achieve this feat in 2021, Federer will join an elite group of players - Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams - who have completed a career Golden Slam - winning all four Slams as well as the Olympic Gold in their lifetimes. Usually his major competition, long-time rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have expressed some concerns about the event, giving Federer added hope.
With Wimbledon 2021 set to end on July 11 and the Olympics scheduled for the July 23, Nadal has pointed out that "combining our tour with another 15 days of quarantine to play Olympics, looks difficult to fix it in our calendar". Meanwhile, Djokovic has also aired some concerns about the tight timeline and logistics of how quarantine at such a huge scale would work (something he has tons of unwanted experience with, by now). Despite his fears, the Serbian star has maintained that he is "personally planning to go for the Olympic Games", saying that he would be honoured to represent his country at the historic event once again.
Image Credits: AP
Updated 13:42 IST, February 1st 2021