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Roger Federer Unsure of Wimbledon Future: 'You Never Know What's Around the Corner'
July 7, 2021
We might have seen the last of Roger Federer at Wimbledon after a straight-set loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Wednesday's quarterfinal.
"I'd like to play it again, but at my age you never know what's around the corner," Federer said after the match.
The 39-year-old's full response about his future at this event was filled with even more uncertainty:
Federer became the oldest man to ever reach a quarterfinal at Wimbledon this week, but the eight-time champion was eliminated with a 6-3, 7-6, 6-0 loss to 24-year-old Hurkacz. The bagel in the third set was his first ever suffered at this event.
The only other 6-0 lost set for Federer since 2000 came against Rafael Nadal in the 2008 French Open.
Federer is still an elite player when healthy, currently No. 8 in the world rankings. He has especially thrived on the grass courts in London, reaching at least the Wimbledon quarterfinal in 17 of the last 18 tournaments.
This also includes a win in 2017 and a runner-up finish in 2019, showing he can still compete with the best at an advanced age.
Even this year's run was impressive with four wins over top-60 opponents, including a straight-set victory over 23rd seed Lorenzo Sonego in the fourth round.
The problem has been staying healthy, with multiple knee surgeries holding him out for much of the 2020 season. These issues and the fact that he will be 40 for next year's Wimbledon could make returning a serious challenge.
Federer is tied with Rafael Nadal for the most career Grand Slam singles titles in men's history, but he appears unlikely to add to his total of 20.