Tennis legend Federer unsure about Tokyo Olympics; will reassess after Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON: Roger Federer is still not sure whether he will compete at the Tokyo Olympics, saying Saturday that he and his team plan to “reassess the situation after Wimbledon.”

Speaking to reporters in a video conference from the All England Club before the grass-court Grand Slam tournament begins Monday, Federer said that how things go over the coming fortnight will affect his plans for the next couple of months.

“Obviously, if I play really good here or really bad, I think it has an impact on how everything might look for the summer,” he said. “Still, my feeling is I would like to go to the Olympics. I would like to play as many tournaments as possible. But I think we decided now let’s just get through Wimbledon, sit down as a team, and then decide where we go from there.”

Wimbledon ends July 11. The Tokyo Games — which were postponed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic — are scheduled to open on July 23.

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At least two top men's tennis players will not be at Wimbledon or in Japan: Rafael Nadal, who said his body needs to rest and recover, and Dominic Thiem, who recently injured his right wrist.

Federer, who shares the men's record of 20 Grand Slam titles with Nadal, has won two Olympic medals for Switzerland: a silver in singles at the 2012 London Games, which held the tennis competition at the All England Club, and a gold in doubles with Stan Wawrinka at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Federer sat out the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of a left knee injury.

He missed most of last season while having two operations on his right knee and heads into Wimbledon, where he has won eight championships, having played a total of merely eight matches in 2021.

His 40th birthday is approaching on Aug. 8, and Federer said that changes the calculus when it comes to figuring out a schedule, too.

“In previous years, it was definitely easier,” Federer said. “At the moment, things are not as simple as in the past. With age, you have to be more selective. You can’t play it all.”