Former World No 1 Roger Federer says that he is enjoying having some time away from the court.
Federer said that he finds himself with more time on his hands than during his usual downtime, because he needs less rest.
He also believes that he will enjoy retirement but concedes that he might have convinced himself that giving up tennis will be a lot easier than it really will be given how long he has been playing at the highest level.
“The last few years have definitely shown me how it could be, how to manage a sort of slower life… because I actually feel very, very busy [nowadays],” Roger Federer said in an interview with Credit Suisse.
“I wake up earlier than ever because my body doesn’t need as much rest as it used to.
“I actually have more time on my hands when I wake up at 7 o’ clock in the morning. I wanna remain curious and really learn, you know…. just working hard, but still enjoy the process.”
“The transition will be an interesting one, my life will be different, the carpet will be pulled from under my legs sometimes, you know?” he added. “Maybe I see it easier than it will be, but I’m very confident about it and that’s not because I don’t want to come back. We’ll see how it will be.”
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Federer says that his wife has warned him not to make the retirement call too soon.
The modern tennis icon is understandably keen to be a father to his children and many feel he could retire in 2022.
“My wife has told me don’t jump from one to the next, if you want to retire, make time, you know? See what you do, there will be opportunities, and my kids are at a very important age right now, boys are seven, girls are twelve,” Federer said.
“And I wanna be there, you know? To support them as a dad, I feel I’ve been there so, so much and I don’t have any regrets when it comes to that.