Tommy Haas Makes Roger Federer Retirement Prediction

MIKAEL MCKENZIE

Roger Federer’s good friend, Tommy Haas, reckons the Swiss star can continue competing for major honours for another two years.

Federer, 37, is not expected to play beyond 2020 as he continues to surprise the world by challenging for Grand Slam titles. Just last week the world No 3 took Novak Djokovic all the way in the Wimbledon final, losing out in a marathon fifth-set tiebreak.

It is predicted Federer will call time on his illustrious career shortly after the Tokyo Olympic Games next year. But Haas thinks he can go on longer than that and even add to his 20 Grand Slam titles.

“In those conditions, he can play for two more years,” Haas said.

“You also need to be lucky. Because our bodies are never the same.

“But Roger understood since the beginning the importance of breaks and a balanced schedule. He and his team are going well.”

Haas also hailed how much Federer has developed, which became evident when he beat Nadal in the semi-final at Wimbledon last week. The match came 11 years after their previous meeting at the All England Club, which Nadal won in what many people still call the greatest final of all time.

“If you look at the great 2008 final, you will see that [Federer] was already competing at a very high level,” Haas added.

“And among the Big Three, you always have to judge their level after their meetings.

“Could you imagine seeing Roger Federer evolve at that level at almost 38 years of age? 15 or ten years ago, never.

“But some years went on since I changed my opinion on this topic. On one side because Roger has such a balanced game and he loves this life.

I am fascinated by seeing how much he likes travelling and developing himself in this environment.”