As per tournament organizers, Roger Federer is expected to make his much-anticipated return to action at his home tournament in Basel in October.
The former World No. 1 has been out of action since losing to Hurbert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon last year. It remains to be seen whether he will play at any ATP Tour-level events beforehand.
Roger Federer is signed up to play at Laver Cup before playing in Basel
The 20-time Grand Slam winner is planning to join forces with longtime rival Rafael Nadal and play doubles at the fifth edition of the Laver Cup in September. Federer will be 41 by the time the event rolls around in London’s O2 Arena. That means his first tournament back remains a mystery in the short term. A multitude of tour-level tournaments could gobble up to sign up the legendary Swiss prior to autumn.
However, earlier this year, Federer’s coach Severin Luthi told Zurich media outlet Tages Anzeiger that his compatriot’s chances of playing at any tournament before Wimbledon are slim. He also ruled out the possibility of Federer appearing at SW19 for the umpteenth time. If that is the case, Federer’s chances of adding another title to his Grand Slam collection could be over.
Breaking news: @rogerfederer will return to the #swissindoors in Basel end of October. His first confirmed start on the ATP-Tour after the #LaverCup in September. Hasn’t played since Wimbledon 2021 (QF ag Hurcakz). Won 10 Titles in his hometown, including the last of his 103.
— René Stauffer (@staffsky) April 26, 2022
Federer has undergone three knee operations since 2020, the last of which came shortly after his Wimbledon quarterfinal exit last year. He has been out of action since, and only making sporadic off-court commercial appearances.
The Swiss Indoors is allocated its original spot in the calendar after cancellation due to Covid-19 in the past two years. Federer is the most successful player in the history of the Swiss Indoors in Basel. He has won the event a record 10 times. He has not lost a match there since 2013.
Federer will be returning as the defending champion. As comebacks go, Federer could not have picked a perfect spot to make his long-awaited return to competitive tennis. If Federer is planning for one glorious swan song, Basel represents another curious subplot to a glittering career.
Main Photo from Getty.
