Roger Federer last played professional Tennis back in 2020 in the Australian Open. His journey ended when he lost to eventual winner Novak Djokovic. However, the Swiss Maestro had to pull out of the entire season as he underwent knee surgery.
Federer has been training in Dubai and his fans expected that he would make his much-awaited comeback in the Australian Open. However, Federer decided to pull out of the Australian Open as it was reported that he hasn’t achieved full fitness to take part in the first slam of the year.
But it is now revealed by Andre Sa, who is the Director of Player Relations for Tennis Australia, that the main reason for Federer to pull out of the AO was the strict quarantine protocols of 14 days. Sa stated that Federer’s wife Mirka disapproved the idea of strict quarantine.
As per the current rules, if the player is travelling with family, then the family can not leave the hotel room for two weeks whereas the player is allowed to train.
“The main reason was the quarantine,” Sa said in an interview with Ace Bandsports. “I talked to him a month ago, and he had two options. He could come with the whole family and quarantine them. The problem is that Mirka (Federer’s wife) and her children couldn’t leave the room. They would have to stay 14 days in the room. The exception is only for players. He could go out, train, and come back, but the family couldn’t. Mirka did not approve the idea.”
However, one more option for Federer could have been to come alone but then he would have needed to stay away from family for almost five weeks.
“The other option would be for him to come alone,” Sa continued. “Only there would be at least five weeks away from family and children. And then he said, ‘Dude, 39, four kids, 20 Grand Slams. I am no longer in time to be away from my family for five weeks’.”
Federer’s participation in other slams could also come under scrutiny if he will need to follow strict quarantine protocols. In fact, Wimbledon could be canceled for the second time in a row as England has gone under strict lock down due to the new strain of Coronavirus.
The AO 2021 will begin from February 8.
