Roger Federer Tipped To Win Prestigious Tournament Before Retirement

Tennis great Michael Stich is convinced Roger Federer's still got it.

Twenty-three years since his pro tennis debut, Federer wants to prove that he still has something left in his tank.

Weighing in on the 20-time Grand Slam winner’s stellar and lengthy career, Stich believes that “at some point,” Federer will finally retire. But until then, he hopes the Swiss would be able to add another major title to his name.

"It is clear that at some point he will stop," Stich recently told Stats Perform News of Federer. "Many would have thought that already five years ago. We have no influence on that. I would wish for him to win Wimbledon and say after the final, 'You know what, I had a sick time, I'll stop.'"

"There couldn't be anything better and that would give so much to the sport," he continued.

Stich, who won the 1991 Wimbledon Tournament, emphasized that at this point, Federer still presents a strong case of winning the prestigious competition.

According to the German, it is the Wimbledon tournaments that Federer enjoys the most. Therefore, it is highly likely that in this competition, the oldest no. 1 player in the world would perform at his best.

"You should never write [Federer] him off because he is a player who has a gifted set of skills that help him to still play tennis that good at his age," the 52-year-old pointed out. "He may have the problem that the younger generation no longer has this huge respect for him because he was out for a year. The mental side plays a big role there.”

"But especially at Wimbledon he is certainly still a candidate for the title, because there he has this mental strength, because there he has the greatest joy,” he added. “He doesn't have to prove anything to himself, he doesn't have to prove anything to the fans out there. He's really doing it because he thinks he can still win titles."

Federer was forced to withdraw from this year’s Australian Open due to problems with his right knee. However, at 39, the current no. 5 player in the world is confident he is now ready for his return and is eyeing to start his season at the Doha Open in March, Fox Sports reported.

“For the first time I’ve got the feeling that my knee is once again ready for competition,” Federer told Swiss radio SRF earlier this month. “This is my first attempt to return to a tournament. So it’s important for me, for my team, that it’s a minor event, and not a major, with all the stress that involves.”

“I have to be ready, mentally and physically, to last five matches in five days,” he added.