Bjorn Borg believes Roger Federer is the greatest player the sport has, but the Swedish tennis great hinted this year could be the end for the Swiss Maestro.
Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam winner, claimed that Federer, who has not won a major title since 2012, is aiming to surpass Pete Sampras' seven Wimbledon titles as the Swiss gears up for the third Grand Slam event of the year at the All England Club in Church Road.
However, Borg hinted at former Australian tennis pro and CNN Open Court's Pat Cash that Federer could be ready to retire from the sport after 18 years of tennis greatness.
"Federer is 34 and what he's done for tennis in unbelievable. At this point, he is the greatest player of the game. I think he is going to be ready for Wimbledon," Borg said as transcribed by Tennis World USA.
"It will be very interesting to see if Roger will play next year as well, this is my biggest fear."
Part of Borg's speculation of Federer calling it quits could be due to the Swiss' series of injuries and setbacks he sustained this season. Aside from knee and back injuries that limited his appearances at major tournaments, there are also worries on Federer's durability to absorb the physicality of tennis, especially considering his aging body.
In his last two tournaments coming off back injury that forced him to skip the French Open, Federer showed a slight of his lethal form, but mostly rustiness due to lack of competitive matches in recent months.
Next generation stars like Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem have respectively gotten the most of the 17-time Grand Slam winner in their outings at the Mercedes Cup and Gerry Weber Open, suggesting that there is a genuine concern for Federer's game in the coming events, particularly at Wimbledon, where he attempts for a record eighth SW19 crown.
Nevertheless, Federer looks inclined to play until 2018, with the Basel native committing to play in Stuttgart next year and has reportedly been working on his tennis outfit for the Australian Open the year after. Furthermore, the Swiss appears contented in the enjoyment he gets in playing the game that made him one of the famous athletes in the world.
"I don't need to win three slams a year to be content. If the body doesn't want to do it, if the mind doesn't want to do it, if my wife doesn't want me to do it, if my kids don't like it, I'll stop tomorrow. Zero problem," Federer told The Guardian.
"But I love tennis in such a big way that I don't care if I don't win so much anymore. For me that is irrelevant."
It will definitely hurt fans to see Federer walk away and put an end to his long run of tennis greatness. But with Federer now getting back in full health, it appears people will still see him competing for a while.