Roger Federer has insisted he is ready to put a forgettable 12 months behind him and become a major force in tennis once again. The 17-time grand slam champion has long been regarded by many as one of the game’s greatest ever players, but the Swiss star appeared to be on the slide in 2013 after winning just one title and slipping to sixth in the world rankings.
While Federer struggled with his form throughout the year, rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all continued to take their games to the next level, making the 32-year old’s job even harder if he is going to add to his haul of grand slam titles. The Betfair odds might not support Federer’s belief he can get back among the mix at the top, although the Swiss star has shown throughout his career that it’s never wise to ever really write Federer off.
After a disappointing 2013, Federer made the decision to add former world number one Stefan Edberg to his coaching set-up during the winter. Following Federer an-injury winter working with the Swede, Federer now believes he is now in a strong position heading into the new season.
“I probably trained harder in the off-season than all the guys ahead of me in the rankings. They went off to play exhibitions, like I did last year, so that [counts in my favour]. I did a full-on month [of training], which I haven’t done in a long time.”
“I really feel like I’m on the way back. Who knows? Maybe I’ll play my best in March or April. I just want to get back to a good level and then, hopefully, I can start winning tournaments again,” insisted Federer.