LONDON: Roger Federer is looking forward to the ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to play in the Olympic Games at Wimbledon in August but revealed he won’t be doing so with Martina Hingis.
Federer will be amongst the favourites on the famous court in which he is the undisputed king having wracked up a record six Wimbledon crowns in the Open era.
And the 30-year-old Swiss can hardly wait.
“It’s an amazing once in a lifetime experience and may never come again in our lifetimes,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It’s a big milestone for tennis at the Olympics for all players of my generation.
“It will be a very, very big and special atmosphere there, I’m really looking forward to it and I hope I can make a big result there.”
However, he has ruled out the somewhat romantic and fanciful idea of teaming up with the now retired but former women’s singles and doubles world number one Martina Hingis, his compatriot.
Hingis was a child prodigy and won her first Grand Slam, the Wimbledon doubles with Helena Sukova, when she was still 15.
A year later she became number one in the world in singles and won three of the four Grand Slam titles on offer, while also reaching the final in Paris.
“I thought about it, actually I didn’t know mixed doubles was a part of the Olympics,” added Federer.
“The only partner I could imagine myself playing with was Martina because she’s been such an amazing player from such a young age.
“She’s only one year older than me and in some ways I learnt so much from her about how to play at the highest level for so long. She drove me and inspired me as well.
“I spoke with Martina on the phone and she said I don’t think we should do it, I would love to do it but you should concentrate on the singles and doubles.
“It would be crazy, I wouldn’t do it. So I said ok, we don’t do it, we’re both very happy, you’re happy in retirement and I’m happy on court.
“It was a good conversation, in a way I’m disappointed but it was the smart decison to make.”
Federer may have turned 30 and dropped down to number three in the world behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, but he insists he still has his eyes set on return to the top of the rankings.
Two years ago he beat Andy Murray to win the Australian Open and last year he reached the final at Roland Garros, where he lost to Nadal for the fourth timme in six years.
“I’m so close (to number one), give me one big or two big tournaments and I’m in it,” said Federer.
“I’m looking forward to the next few months because it’s going to be an amazing stretch of tournaments starting on clay all the way through to the US Open.
“It’s going to be make or break for many of the players at that part of the season, I hope I can play my very best there and launch an attack on the world number one.” (Agencies)
