by Bob Stockton

@BobStockton10

When a sports player suffers a serious injury, the physical rehabilitation is one part of the comeback process but there are also mental hurdles to overcome too. There are a lot of factors that will determine whether a player is able to make a successful comeback from injury to perform at the same level again, including their age and mental strength.

With Andy Murray talking about his plans to make a comeback from a long injury-ravaged period, he will hopefully be able to take some inspiration from the successful comebacks of other tennis stars.

Most of the top tennis players have had serious injuries that have hampered their careers and these are some of the highest-profile comebacks:

Monica Seles

The story of Monica Seles’ comeback is unique, it wasn’t a muscle or joint injury that forced her to take time out of tennis, but an injury inflicted by a crazed Steffi Graf fan stabbing her in the back. In what was one of the darkest moments in tennis, Seles was attacked during a match in Hamburg against Steffi Graf. Following the shocking incident, Seles didn’t play for over two years and when she did make a comeback, she revealed that she struggled with the psychological factor in returning to the court. She did manage to win the Australian Open in 1996 but her career never really reached the level she was destined for prior to the attack.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer had a pretty good record as far as injuries were concerned, which is one of the main reasons he has managed to dominate tennis for so long. In 2016 he suffered a knee injury, shortly followed by a back injury inflicted by lifting his child out of the bath, which led to him taking six months away from the game.

Federer was approaching 35 years of age, and whilst many athletes of this age might admit defeat and take retirement through injury, there was no way Federer was giving up his sport without a fight. In January 2017 he roared back to beat Rafael Nadal in an epic final.

The Swiss star is still rated as one of the best in the sport alongside Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal even though he is 38-years-old, which is reflected in the tennis betting as he is third favourite for the US Open at 6/1.

Andre Agassi

One of tennis’ most flamboyant stars, Agassi was renowned for his long locks and bright, jazzy outfits. He was the rock and roll star of tennis, married to actress Brooke Shields and never too far away from the news headlines. However, in 1997 everything turned sour for Agassi. A wrist injury combined with divorce proceedings resulted in Agassi going off the rails and failing an ATP drug test. Determined to change his fortunes, Agassi embarked on a remarkable comeback, which saw him win the French Open in 1999 and win four more Grand Slams before hanging up his racquet. 

These are some of the more high profile injury comebacks in tennis but there are many more examples of career-threatening injuries that players have overcome.

by Bob Stockton

@BobStockton10

Seven international governing bodies of tennis have raised more than 6 million U.S. dollars for a relief fund to offer financial support to players affected by the sport’s suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WTA, ATP, International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the four Grand Slams – the U.S., French and Australian Opens as well as Wimbledon – issued the joint statement on Tuesday.

“The creation of the Player Relief Program is a positive demonstration of the sport’s ability to come together during this time of crisis,” the statement said.

The program will target a total of approximately 800 ATP/WTA singles and doubles players collectively, in need of financial support.

Eligibility for the Player Relief Program will take into account a player’s ranking as well as previous prize money earnings according to criteria agreed by all stakeholders, the statement said.

Funds raised through initiatives such as auctions, player donations, virtual tennis games and more, will provide an opportunity for further support of the program moving forward and are welcomed, it said.

Professional tennis is currently suspended until at least July 13.

Absent and silent from this or any funding programs is the Communist Chinese Government and any of its state sports organizations. As documented in numerous media reports, the Chinese Communist government covered-up initial reports of the pandemic and silenced whistleblowers who wanted to warn the world of the coming havoc, which has caused the biggest world disruption since World War II. China is currently the site of four ATP events and 10 WTA events, including the year-end championships in Shenzen.

by Bob Stockton

@BobStockton10

Tennis favourite and former two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray dropped a bombshell recently when announcing he could be set to return for a Grand Slam tournament before the end of the summer, providing he is given the all-clear.

The 32-year-old Scotsman has experienced the highs and lows of professional tennis during his career. From winning twice in London and once in New York to ending as a beaten finalist five times at the Australian Open and once at the French Open, he is done it all.

Muzza back for more

Several injury problems and time away from the sport prompted many followers of major tennis to speculate we have already seen the best of Murray, some suggesting he may never feature again in a Grand Slam. That could all be about to change, the man himself admitted, when telling reporters he was weighing up another crack at one that got away – the French Open.

This year’s renewal is set to take place at Roland Garros in Paris between 20 September and 4 October, much later in the year than fans are used to. The new time slot and his love of the clay court surface could play to Andy’s advantages. Despite another bout of illness this year, Muzza promised he would play on the clay of Paris if the tournament got the green light.

Murray famously made it all the way to the Roland Garros decider back in 2016 – the same year he won Wimbledon for the second time and finished best of the rest at the Australian Open. In his only French Open final appearance to date, the British star was beaten by old rival Novak Djokovic, the Serb scoring a three sets to one victory, despite Murray claiming the opener with a score of 6-3.

Nadal the more likely champion

Could 2020 be the year of the comeback for Murray? UK tennis fans will certainly hope so and will hold onto hope their star makes it into the French Open, at the very least. If Andy does attend, can he win the trophy? Not in the eyes of betting traders. Back the Glaswegian online at Space Casino an eye-catching 22/1. With each-way terms of 1/2 the odds a place 1-2, lovers of a plucky underdog are sure to see the good in that quote.

A far more likely champion this year is Spain’s Rafa Nadal, so say bookmakers. The 33-year-old’s record speaks for itself, having won each of the four Grand Slams at least once. The French Open history books have Rafa as a 12-time winner between 2005 and 2019. He has kissed the trophy in each of the last three years.

With that in mind, it is little surprise to learn he is top of the betting charts. A popular figure amongst those in attendance, there will be millions more cheering on Nadal around the world when the 124^th edition of the French Open gets going.

by Bob Stockton

@BobStockton10

The Spanish publication Marca is reporting here https://www.marca.com/tenis/2020/04/24/5e9b15e9e2704e53608b45e2.html that the U.S. Tennis Association is considering moving the U.S. Open in the late summer from New York City to Indian Wells, California, due to the coronavirus pandemic which is ravaging Manhattan and its surrounding areas.

In a conference call in April, the U.S. Tennis Associations’s new Executive Director Michael Dowse said that the organization would make a decision on the U.S. Open in June. He said it would be “highly unlikely” that the event would be played without fans. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center currently set up as a extra hospital to help overflow patients and also as a kitchen to help feed patients, health care workers and children and residents in need.

In a column in WorldTennisMagazine.com here http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/18459 former USTA staffer Randy Walker discussed some potential contingency plans for the U.S. Open, including a potential move from New York City to Indian Wells or possibly Los Angeles among other ideas.

The annual BNP Paribas Open, which is held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden every March, was the first tennis event to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, which started and spread around the world from the Chinese city of Wuhan. The event features two large stadium courts as well as suitable “Grand Slam level” infrastructure for players, officials, fans, media and vendors. California has not nearly the coronavirus cases as the New York City area which has about one quarter of the entire cases in the United States. Fans, players and officials will not have to deal with the density and public transportation of New York City in Indian Wells. However, the draw back of the venue is that temperatures in late August and early September average around 100 degrees. Time will tell if the coronavirus disease will be dormant at the time and if social distancing measures can be implemented for fans, staff and players. Also, will travel logistics allow for players from around the world to safely travel to the United States for the event.

Since Indian Wells, the entire tennis circuit has been on hold, which includes the cancellation of Wimbledon for the first time since 1945 and Roland Garros moving from the spring to the fall, to be played just after the conclusion of the U.S. Open.

World No.2 Rafael Nadal is the runaway favorite to clinch the Roland Garros title this season across betting platforms, tipped in minus money on the tennis odds board he’s the only player to be so favorably priced.

That Nadal is the hot commodity on the market’s catwalk of ATP players set to ply their wares in Paris in September is really no surprise, despite the new dates. Nadal is gunning for an incredible 13^th Roland Garros triumph and 20^th overall major title.

Roland Garros has long been the Spaniard’s beloved Kingdom, a principality he’s ruled mercilessly. Bookmakers simply can’t go against the established status quo that has, in no certain terms, Nadal widely accepted as the greatest clay-court player to have ever played the game.

Form is crucial to the measure of any player’s odds ahead of a major because it adds credibility and speaks to a player’s confidence.

Winning the Abierto Mexicano Telcel title this year before the shutdown, which marked Nadal’s first title in 2020, also saw him make history on two fronts: firstly, by becoming only the second player after David Ferrer to win the tournament on both clay and hardcourt; and secondly, by becoming the tournament’s youngest and oldest champion at the same time, winning his first title in Acapulco as a teenager in 2005 and at 33 years of age fifteen years later.

That Nadal is the rightful claimant to the Parisian throne brooks no argument. By that same token, he is the best bet to consider, bar none. Underpinning his market value is the 12 titles and a 93-2 win-loss record overall at the French Open. The two defeats Nadal endured came in 2009 when he lost to Robin Soderling in the R16 and in 2015 when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

Obviously, losses at the French Open for Nadal have been rare; so few and far in-between to make betting against Nadal an option that carries a low probability of success when upsetting the ‘King of Clay’ in the best-of-five scenario has – time and time again – been proven nigh impossible. However, bookmakers have identified two players that are potential threats to Nadal’s bid at the French Open and they are Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem, both jointly priced at +300 and the only two players that are priced in triple-digit plus money (i.e. under +1000, where the rest of the field of hopefuls hobnobs)

Even the impossible is possible. The unthinkable can happen. For those bettors looking beyond Nadal these two top ATP players are arguably the best of the bunch to spot for early tennis picks.

World No.1 Novak Djokovic is the only active player in today’s game that has pulled off the feat on clay, albeit in the quarterfinals. That feat nevertheless makes the Serbian a tempting alternative for tennis bettors to consider, particularly after he just announced (ironically) his intention to attempt to go undefeated for the entire season following his victory in Dubai last week.

Djokovic won the first major of the season and 17^th overall Down Under and recently augmented his credentials by winning the ATP Dubai Duty-Free title. Djokovic strikes a tempting pose as the +300 bet to win Roland Garros with most top-rated sportsbooks, thereby thwarting Nadal and closing the gap on the Spaniard and Roger Federer in the history books.

Now, it’s worth noting one caveat here and that is Djokovic hasn’t seen into the French Open final since his lone triumph in 2016. In the last three installments, he’s reached the quarterfinals twice (2017 and 2018) and the semi-finals once (2019). On two occasions, the player that has gotten the measure of the Serbian starlet is none other than the newly-minted World No.3, Dominic Thiem.

Indeed, the Austrian has reached the French Open final twice, both times losing to Nadal. In the last four years, Thiem has reached the semis or better of the French Open, a run of form in Paris that has earned the 26-year old the same favorable outlook as Djokovic, the second-best bets to claim the French Open title in 2020. In Thiem’s case it would mark his maiden major title.

It’s early days yet and a bit of a way to go before the French Open dawns. A lot can happen before then that could very well impact the French Open markets. However, for the time being, it’s really hard to look beyond Nadal as the best bet along with Djokovic and Thiem as the most viable threats to hedge one’s bets on to thwart the Spaniard’s bid in Paris.

The USTA today announced a comprehensive suite of programs to support the tennis industry, which is battling the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This announcement is the second phase of ongoing efforts that the USTA is developing in concert with the American tennis industry.  The overarching goal of these efforts is to provide immediate relief, spur the industry’s recovery, and help the industry rebuild when the crisis passes.

On March 23, the USTA announced the creation of Tennis Industry United, a collaboration of the USTA, TIA, USPTA, PTR, ITA, major endemic media partners and others, that is assessing overall industry needs and making recommendations for those industry sectors that need immediate relief. The initial goal of the first phase was to provide help for the front lines of the sport including tennis facilities, tennis professionals, grassroots tennis programs and the hundreds of tournaments, college and high school matches, and league matches cancelled or suspended since the onset of the pandemic.  On March 26, through the collaborative efforts of the Tennis Industry United partnership group, the USTA published the industry resource guide at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com. This resource guide is continually updated to provide the most current information regarding governmental assistance and other resources available to those in the industry.

“We recognized helping tennis facilities, community tennis programs, and teaching professionals navigate the multitude of government grants and loans was of immediate importance,” said Mike Dowse, CEO and Executive Director of the USTA.  “The foundation of our sport begins with these stakeholders and we need to ensure they can weather the storm and remain viable as the storm recedes.  This is all about ‘relief, recovery and rebuild’ for our industry.”

For the second phase of support, the USTA, along with its partners, will begin offering specific economic assistance packages, increased support to navigate government assistance for facilities and coaches, access to industry leaders, daily educational webinars and in-the-moment phone support to help individuals emotionally impacted from COVID-19.   The extent of this future support will be determined by the financial performance of the 2020 US Open and the impact that the current pandemic has on the event.  The USTA’s plans to stage the tournament remain ongoing, and all decisions regarding the US Open will be guided by federal and local governmental agencies and the health and safety of the players, fans, partners, and the broader tennis community.

Nevertheless, the USTA is taking immediate actions to cut costs for the eventual deployment of financial resources to support the tennis industry in the U.S.  Immediate first steps include identifying more than $20 million in savings by instituting salary reductions of USTA management, eliminating programs in marketing, Player Development and operations, and deferring all non-essential capital projects.  

The following outlines a summary of the support and assistance currently provided or now in development to assist the U.S. tennis industry:

• USTA Facility Grants:  USTA facility grants are being developed to support facilities in need of financial support to reopen.  This funding, expected to reach more than $5 million in total, will come from both USTA National and the USTA Sectional offices. Funding criteria, award levels, and the application process are being finalized and will be available on or before May 1.
• Certified Tennis Professional Membership Grants: The USTA is working with the USPTA and PTR to ensure that certified tennis professionals are able to renew their annual membership dues moving into 2021.  This will allow these critical tennis providers to maintain their liability insurance, be Safe Play compliant, and continue to have access to educational opportunities. The organizations will be collaborating on this plan over the coming weeks. Grants are expected to exceed $2.5 million.
• The USTA Foundation will provide $5 million in operating grants to grassroots tennis and education organizations supporting underserved communities through the National Junior Tennis and Learning network.
• Access to legal expertise with links to identify and claim government support through the CARES Act at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
• The hosting of all tennis offerings from key organizations within the tennis industry on one central site to enable ease of access of key offerings available at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
• FREE access to online continuing professional development for facility owners and managers and tennis professionals at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
• FREE phone support to help the tennis industry cope with the emotional impact of COVID-19 through the USTA’s health provider, Aetna.  Those needing to utilize this service can call 1-833-327-AETNA and reference the USTA.
• A dedicated email address, covidsupport@usta.com, has been created for those in the industry to submit specific queries regarding available COVID-19 support.
• Daily updates and guidance by leading experts will be made available on http://www.tennisindustryunited.com that will give specific information about key steps to take to navigate the pandemic.
• The USTA will provide a free website builder tool with marketing and content resources that allows turnkey solutions for communication tools for facilities and pros.
• The USTA National office has recommitted as its top priority the continuation of the “grow the game” funding commitments of $35 million to community tennis programming in 2020 and 2021.  These funds are distributed through the 17 USTA Sections to get the money closer to grassroots decision-makers and fund grassroots tennis programs at parks, schools, NJTLs, and a variety of other local efforts.  Tennis providers are encouraged to connect with their local USTA offices to explore Section, District and State offerings.

The above equates to a commitment of more than $50 million in spending towards grassroots tennis and will engage the entire U.S. tennis ecosystem.

“With phase one and phase two, the priority has been to start the process of ensuring that the foundation of our sport remains in place and is viable in the future,” added Dowse.  “We now quickly are taking a look at the broader tennis ecosystem and are working with our colleagues within the Grand Slams, the ITF, the ATP and the WTA Tour to determine how to provide help for lower-ranked professional tennis players who are facing tournament cancellations and financial hardship.” In the coming weeks, the USTA and its industry partners, will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. tennis marketplace.  Moving forward, the USTA will continue to aggregate all industry resources to aid in recovery while collaborating with all industry partners to develop and deliver programs to help rebuild tennis in the United States.

In conjunction with the cancellation of The Championships, Wimbledon, the ATP and WTA have jointly announced the continued suspension of the ATP and WTA Tours until July 13, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.   In addition to Wimbledon, the suspension covers the entirety of the ATP/WTA European grass court swing, including ATP events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, London-Queen’s, Halle, Mallorca, Eastbourne, as well as WTA events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Nottingham, Birmingham, Berlin, Eastbourne and Bad Homburg. The suspension comes into effect at all levels of the professional game, including the ATP Challenger Tour, as well as the ITF World Tennis Tour. At this time, tournaments taking place from July 13, 2020 onwards are still planning to proceed as per the published schedule.   The ATP and WTA realize the importance and responsibility to prioritize the health and safety of the tennis community and general public while assessing the feasibility of the Tours’ resumption.   “This was a decision that the WTA and our members did not take lightly, however we remain vigilant in protecting the health and safety of our players, staff and fans,” said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. “While we share in the disappointment of the season’s further postponement, our priority remains to support each other during this unprecedented time and work together as a sport in preparation of our return to play.”   “Regrettably, the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic leaves us with no choice but to suspend the Tour further; a decision we’ve made in close cooperation with our members and the other governing bodies of tennis,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “Health and safety remains the top priority as we navigate the challenges ahead in these unprecedented times, and we will do everything we can for the Tour to resume at the earliest opportunity once it is safe to do so.”

Due to the continuing outbreak of COVID-19, all ATP and WTA tournaments in the Spring clay-court swing will not be held as scheduled.  This includes the combined ATP/WTA tournaments in Madrid and Rome, along with the WTA events in Strasbourg and Rabat and ATP events in Munich, Estoril, Geneva and Lyon.

The professional tennis season is now suspended through 7 June 2020, including the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF World Tennis Tour. At this time, tournaments taking place from 8 June 2020 onwards are still planning to go ahead as per the published schedule.

In parallel, the FedEx ATP Rankings and WTA Rankings will be frozen throughout this period and until further notice.

The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to professional tennis demand greater collaboration than ever from everyone in the tennis community in order for the sport to move forward collectively in the best interest of players, tournaments and fans.

We are assessing all options related to preserving and maximising the tennis calendar based on various different return dates for the Tours, which remains an unknown at this time. We are committed to working through these matters with our player and tournament members, and the other governing bodies, in the weeks and months ahead.

Now is not a time to act unilaterally, but in unison. All decisions related to the impact of the coronavirus require appropriate consultation and review with the stakeholders in the game, a view that is shared by ATP, WTA, ITF, AELTC, Tennis Australia, and USTA.

All ITF events postponed until 8 June 2020

After careful consideration and in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ITF has postponed the ITF World Tennis Tour until Monday 8 June 2020. This aligns with the ATP and WTA’s suspension of their respective tours and the decision by the Fédération Française de Tennis to postpone Roland Garros until late September.

In addition to the suspension of the men’s and women’s ITF World Tennis Tour, the ITF will also postpone the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors, the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, ITF Beach Tennis World Tour, and ITF Seniors Tour until 8 June 2020. 

The ITF, ATP and WTA firmly believe it is better for everyone in the tennis community if we work together. We are committed to working through these matters with players, tournaments and our national and regional associations in the weeks and months ahead. More than ever, the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to professional tennis demand collaboration and unity in order for us to do what is right for our fans, players and tournaments.

ITF President David Haggerty said, “In these challenging times, it is more important than ever for our sport to pull together to provide as much certainty as possible to all those affected by these postponements. We recognise the huge impact this will have, but ultimately the health and safety of players, officials and spectators has to be our primary concern. The ITF is committed to taking a responsible approach, working with all tennis stakeholders to enable players of all levels to resume playing as soon as it is safe to do so.”  

The Riverside County Public Health Department has declared a public health emergency for the Coachella Valley after a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) locally. As a result, the 2020 BNP Paribas Open will not take place at this time due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus and the safety of the participants and attendees at the event. This is following the guidance of medical professionals, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and State of California.

“There is too great a risk, at this time, to the public health of the Riverside County area in holding a large gathering of this size,” said Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California. “It is not in the public interest of fans, players and neighboring areas for this tournament to proceed. We all have to join together to protect the community from the coronavirus outbreak.”

“We appreciate the proactive stance tournament organizers are taking to ensure public health and safety,” said Martin Massiello, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Eisenhower Health.

“We are very disappointed that the tournament will not take place, but the health and safety of the local community, fans, players, volunteers, sponsors, employees, vendors, and everyone involved with the event is of paramount importance,” said Tournament Director Tommy Haas. “We are prepared to hold the tournament on another date and will explore options.”

Any patron who has purchased tickets directly from the tournament may request a refund for the 2020 tournament, or a credit for the 2021 tournament. Patrons can visit www.bnpparibasopen.com/coronavirus to request a refund or credit.

About the BNP Paribas Open
The BNP Paribas Open is the largest ATP Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world and is held annually at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The tournament offers more than $17 million in prize money and is the only event to provide the Hawk-Eye line challenge system on all match courts, including qualifying rounds. For more information, visit www.bnpparibasopen.com.

by Bob Stockton

@BobStockton10

Roger Federer’s time in the world’s top 3 is over after the Swiss great dropped to number four following his decision to undergo surgery in February. Federer could not defend his Dubai title from a year ago, and Australian Open runner-up Dominic Thiem has taken his place. The Austrian is now in the top 3 for the first time, despite not playing last week.

While Thiem’s progress is worthy of discussion, all eyes are on Federer as he dropped from the top 3 for the first time in three years. Federer’s drop means the Djokovic, Nadal, Federer stranglehold on the top of men’s tennis has ended. Many fans are now asking what the future holds for Federer and whether he could choose to retire from the sport.

That’s certainly not Federer’s intentions publicly. According to the 20-time grand slam champion, he will be ready to return in time for the grass-court season. Federer will once again be amongst the favorites for Wimbledon when sports betting websites open markets for the tournament. Still, for some observers, we could be about to witness the end of Federer’s career.

At 38-years-old, Federer has already been managing his schedule and limiting which events he plays for several years. Even with his on-court guile and in-game management, it is clear Federer cannot compete at the same physical level he used to. For a player who spent 10 years of his prime without significant injury, the last couple of seasons have seen problems hamper his progress.

With a three-month break to the grass season, Federer will have plenty of time to reflect. For a champion like him, playing just to turn up at Grand Slams is not enough… he needs to be competitive. If injury and age finally catch up with Federer and he thinks he cannot compete at the highest level, retirement could be closer than many predict.

Why Roger Federer Won’t Retire

At the moment, Federer will believe he is still in the elite group of players in the world. Let’s not forget he made the semi-finals of the Australian Open when he was clearly carrying a problem. Additionally, he demolished Djokovic at the ATP Tour Finals last November. In other words, Federer remains very much in the mix at the major tournaments.

It seems unless injury decides for him, Federer’s game continues to hold up against the best in the world. While many predict the end of Federer’s career is imminent, 8-time slam champion John McEnroe has warned against writing the Swiss off.

McEnroe compares Federer’s longevity and ability to stay competitive to Tom Brady’s similar staying power in the NFL. He says he’s unsure how Federer and six-time Super Bowl winner Brady keep going, but the clear fact is they do.

“I mean, how they keep doing it would be the first thing at their age. It’s phenomenal, right? I mean, how in the world are these guys still playing at such a high level?

“I’ve admired watching Tom Brady because he makes players around him better. But you’re out there on your own and you’re 38 and you could be turning 39 on a tennis court with the wear and tear.

“That’s really tough. It’s already amazing he’s made it this far.”

McEnroe suggests Federer has already come back from injury once before with a renewed strength and believes it is possible again. Federer missed the second half of the 2016 season and went under the knife for a back problem. Then in his mid-thirties, many predicted Federer’s career at the top was over, especially as he had not won a slam since 2012.

However, Fed returned from injury and picked up the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017, before winning the Open again in 2018. Discussing that previous injury, McEnroe suggests it would be foolish to write Federer off again.

“And I thought, you know, that’s pretty much it. That’s four years ago.

“And he came back after not having played for six months and managed to win the Australian Open (the next) year, winning three best-of-five-set matches, which is virtually unheard of to begin with.

“And to win three majors post-surgery. So, you never can count him out.”

Djokovic Agrees

Novak Djokovic, one of Federer’s great rivals, admits he was surprised Federer needed time out for surgery but says he expects the Swiss master to return.

“I knew he was struggling with an injury in the Australian Open. But no one knew really what was the injury, what is the extent of that injury.

“I really don’t like to see anybody going through surgery. I’ve been through that once, and hopefully the last time in my life.

“Roger is Roger – this sport needs him.”