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Federer wins 10th Basel title

Roger Federer won his 10th Swiss Indoors Basel title, defeating Alex De Minaur 6-2, 6-2 to secure what the Swiss legend described as "an unbelievable" success at the home-town tournament.

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Federer to play 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Roger Federer will go for gold in 2020. The Swiss star confirmed that he will compete for Switzerland at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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Federer wins 10th Halle title

Roger Federer made history in Halle, defeating David Goffin 7-6 (2), 6-1 to win a record 10th Noventi Open title. It is the first time that Federer has earned 10 crowns at one tournament.

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Federer wins fourth Miami Open title

Roger Federer produced a championship masterclass under the Florida sun, dominating reigning champ John Isner 6-1, 6-4 to win his fourth Miami title.

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Federer makes history in Dubai, wins 100th title

Roger Federer made history at the Dubai Duty Free Championships, defeating reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to win his 100th tour-level title.

Roger Federer hopes to play '2 to 3 more years'

Roger Federer says he hopes to play for at least another two to three years and that his "mindset is for the long term" in assessing his tennis future.

Federer, who has not played since re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee at Wimbledon in July, will make his tournament return in the January 1-7 Hopman Cup team event at Perth, representing Switzerland with Belinda Bencic.

The 35-year-old Federer said Friday he's not sure of the form he'll produce upon his return, but that retirement isn't part of his thought process.

"Only when I get asked do I think of things like this," said Federer, who has 17 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any male player.

"I don't see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be," he added. "I'm really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so. So my mindset is for the long term."

Federer hasn't won a Grand Slam singles title since Wimbledon in 2012 and, with his injury, has slipped to No. 16 in the world rankings.

"Winning titles is a beautiful feeling; rankings at the moments... completely secondary," Federer said Friday. "As long as I'm healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage."

Federer and Bencic begin play against Britain, represented by Dan Evans and Heather Wilson, on Monday night at Perth Arena.

Defending champions Australia, represented by Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova, begin play Sunday night against Spain.

Americans Jack Sock and Coco Vandeweghe take on Czech Republic's Adam Pavlasek and Lucie Hradecka earlier Sunday in the men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles format.

Date: 30 December 2016, Source: AP

Federer feeling rejuvenated, refreshed and ready for 2017 return

As he prepares for the 2017 season, Roger Federer said on Friday that he's feeling rejuvenated and is eager to come back to tour-level competition after missing half of the 2016 season.

Federer, speaking with reporters on a conference call, said he's played “very well” in practice matches with fellow players Lucas Pouille of France, Borna Coric of Croatia and Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Federer also said he doesn't regret sitting out six months of the season. The Swiss legend last played in July at the Wimbledon semi-finals (l. to Raonic in five sets).

“I do believe it could be very beneficial for the future of my tennis career that I've had this six-month layoff,” Federer said. “I feel rejuvenated, refreshed. Maybe mentally I needed this rest more than I thought I would. Maybe also my body needed a rest more than I thought I would.”

The 88-time tour-level titlist had never taken off so much as a few weeks in a season before this year. But 2016 was far from a regular campaign for the 35-year-old father of four.

In February, for the first time in Federer's career, he had to undergo surgery. A day after losing in the Australian Open semi-finals, Federer tore a meniscus in his left knee while preparing a bath for his twin girls. The right-hander returned to competition two months later, in Monte-Carlo, and, the following month, played the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

But Federer then missed another month of the season before making his return on the grass in Stuttgart. He'd play only two more tournaments, including Wimbledon, before later announcing he wouldn't play again until 2017.

“It was really about taking a tough decision to say, 'I give myself time, I deserve to give myself time.' I take six months off in a 20-year career, it's OK. If you look at six months off in a 12-month season it sounds like there's no chance I'm ever going to take six months off,” Federer said. “But I tried to look at the big picture. At least one thing I know now is I have no regrets. I feel I did everything this year to get my body back in shape and now only time can tell.”

Resting for so long assured Federer that he wouldn't need a second surgery on his left knee. “That for me was No. 1 and crucial. I just needed it to rest really,” he said.

After Wimbledon, he tried to play again in August but decided against seriously testing his knee. “I played again, very quick. There was a bit of a reaction in the knee and that's when you realise... we knew it was too early,” he said.

Last month, Federer took a couple weeks off before resuming training for 2017. “The last six weeks for me have been crucial and obviously the last two weeks in November when I came back from vacation were really important for me to see how much load I could put on the leg,” Federer said. “Very quickly we realised at the end of November, early December, I was not at 100 per cent yet, let's be honest, because you always need more time, more reassurance. But things went very well. I didn't have any setbacks. In the end it all worked out according to plan.”

The time off had upsides as well. “It was great to spend more quality time with the kids, or me with more energy rather than having to worry, 'Careful, I have a match tomorrow' or 'I need to go to bed' or in the morning 'Don't wake me up' kind of thing because daddy needs to sleep a little bit,” Federer said.

Federer returns to action at the Hopman Cup, starting on 1 January 2017, which he will play in for the first time since he teamed up with his now wife Mirka in 2002. He will partner compatriot Belinda Bencic, 19, at the international team tournament in Perth.

Federer said his goal was to get fully fit and he was looking forward to a few matches in Perth before the year's first grand slam - Australian Open starts later in the month in Melbourne.

“This year is unique because maybe this is the year more than any time before where I do need matches at the beginning of the season. Matches have a different intensity about it and your body reacts according to it. I’ve played over 15 sets in practice the last few weeks and I feel I am there. It’s been a great preparation,” Federer said.

Federer, who has won 24 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles and 17 Grand Slam crowns, said he thinks his 18th Grand Slam title could come next season.

“I do hope it's around the corner,” Federer said. “If it's not, it's not. My mindset is always very positive that it can happen or should happen or that I am doing everything that I can to possibly achieve that.

“I think I've been awfully close the last few years but that doesn't count because it wasn't winning.

“Time will tell if it's going to be possible or not.”

Date: 24 December 2016, Source: ATP and ABC