‘I’d like to go out on my terms’: Federer hints retirement plan after Murray announcement

Federer, the most successful male player in tennis history, has seen unprecedented success throughout his professional career but as gets set to begin his 21st season, questions have begun to be asked as to his exit strategy from the sport he has dominated for the best part of two decades.

On Friday, Federer’s frequent foe Andy Murray announced that he would soon be ending his career after failing to adequately recover from a hip injury which has stymied his progress since 2017 – and Federer says that he hopes to avoid a similar fate.

“I hope it doesn’t end with an injury,” Federer said to CNN of his own career.

“I’d like to go out on my terms. I don’t have the fairytale ending in my head saying there has to be another title somewhere, and then I have to announce it big and say, that was it, by the way, guys. I don’t have to have it that way.

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“If I wanted it that way, I could’ve maybe said it after the Australian Open when I beat Rafa in that epic final. I don’t know if it’s ever going to get better than that, because that was it for me.”

Murray announced yesterday that this will be his final season in tennis. He is scheduled to begin his challenge for the Australian Open on Monday when he faces Roberto Bautista Agut in the opening round, adding that he would ideally like to make it Wimbledon in the summer before he bids farewell. 

The annual grass court championship in London is seen by most as the flagship tournament on the tennis calendar and, much like Murray, Federer sees the it as an ideal stage for him to step down when the time comes.