Roger Federer (Photo : Getty Images)
Roger Federer is not expected to win any Grand Slam events next year and may as well start his "lap of honor."
Federer may not be ready to retire from tennis yet as the Swiss Maestro confirmed his return next year after suffering a season-ending injury at Wimbledon. The 17-time Grand Slam winner has vowed to comeback "stronger than ever" in 2017, but according to ESPN's tennis analyst Nic Atkin, the Swiss Maestro may no longer be capable of winning another major and should consider pondering about his farewell tour next season.
"Sad as it is to comprehend, Federer could well begin his lap of honor next season. He has defied the sands of time for long enough, but his body is finally failing him," Atkin wrote. "He just doesn't have enough in him to win an 18th major, though he will entertain us all as usual by threatening the possibility with a run to the Australian Open quarterfinals."
Federer had a tough campaign this season, sustaining his first major injury a day after losing to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. The Basel native returned to tennis action after more than two months, but a back problem caused him to sit at the sidelines again.
At Wimbledon, Federer returned playing tennis at a high level, but the Swiss re-injured his surgically-repaired left knee in his semifinal match against Milos Raonic, forcing him to skip the remainder of the season.
"It is tough to miss the rest of the year," Federer wrote. "However, the silver lining is that this experience has made me realize how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries.
"The love I have for tennis, the competition, tournaments and of course you, the fans remains intact. I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017."
Federer aims to return in next year's Australian Open, but has long hinted his presence in the sport for the next two years after working on the design of his outfit for the 2018 US Open. But even if Federer could fully recover from his first major injury, another Grand Slam win may not be as realistic due to his age and vulnerability.
Video courtesy: YouTube/Wimbledon
