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Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer has doused all the retirement rumours as he will be seeking his 11th title at the Swiss Indoors Basel this year. The former world number one confirmed on Tuesday that he would participate in the ATP 500 event scheduled to take place from October 24 to 30. Federer has an outstanding overall record in Basel as he has already lifted the trophy there ten times and possesses a 75-9 match record at the event.
"Looking forward to playing back home," wrote Federer via an Instagram story. The 40-year-old won the tournament's past three editions in his homeland, which was last held in 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even the event-based in Basel took to its official website on Tuesday to confirm the same and informed the 20-time Grand Slam champion has officially signed up for the tournament.
He will participate on the entry list with the protected ATP ranking No. 9. Federer played his last professional game to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon championship in 2021 in which he lost by 6-3, 7-6, 6-0. Post-defeat, Federer went through surgery to repair his meniscus and cartilage damage in his right knee and has been recovering from it ever since.
This was the third time in one and half years that he had to go through an operation on his right knee. On Tuesday, the Basel-based event informed that Federer would play his first match after returning on October 25. He was last defeated by Juan Martin del Potro in the final of the tournament in 2013 and has won five Basel titles since then.
While Federer had to pull out of the US Open at the end of 2021, Russian player Daniil Medvedev clinched his first Grand Slam title by beating Novak Djokovic in the final clash. Federer missed out on the season-opening major at the Australian Open in January this year, as his long-time rival Rafael Nadal won his record 21st Grand Slam title, leaving Federer and Djokovic behind in the process.