Roger Federer admitted he is not thinking of winning a title right away after coming back from injury. But the Swiss Maestro also knows it would be tough for him to win, with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as the "big favorites" to win Wimbledon.
Federer acknowledges the chances of him not winning a title right away coming off a back injury that forced him to skip the French Open and play rusty in Stuttgart and Halle. However, the 17-time Grand Slam winner also recognizes the challenge for an eighth Wimbledon crown, conceding that Djokovic and Murray are the top favorites to win in Church Road.
"Clearly I'm not thinking of the title right away. It's too far ahead. Regardless, Novak or Andy are the big favourites in my opinion. They've had such a great last six months, last few years. To me they are the ones to beat," Federer said, reports the ATP's official website.
Djokovic and Murray have been forming an unwavering rivalry this year after four final rounds matchups, including their battle for the Australian and French Open titles, which the Serb has convincingly won. At Wimbledon, the two are still the presumptive winners, with Rafael Nadal out of competition and Federer returning from subpar performances in this last two outings.
Federer, who has not won a single title this season, has yet to face Murray this year, while rarely meeting Djokovic in tournaments because of injuries and setbacks that forced him to be sidelined from tennis action for more than two months. And while the Basel native feels good about his game heading to Wimbledon, Federer expects "bad times" if setbacks hit at the wrong time.
"It's frustrating because it shakes the whole mechanics of the body, what you can work on. Yeah, maybe if it hits you in bad times, it's not funny. I think particularly difficult has just been looking ahead of what was to come: Paris, Wimbledon, Olympics, US Open," Federer said, reports ESPN.
Meanwhile, a tough draw awaits Federer at the All England Club, including a potential epic collision against Djokovic in the semifinal round. Federer and Djokovic both played the finals of Wimbledon in the last two years, but with the two seeded in the same half of the draw, there will be no finals rematch between the Swiss and the Serb.