Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has had a “definite conversation” with his team about his plans for next year and it is unlikely he will play in the Australian Open, the Swiss said on Sunday.
A slew of injuries and a disappointing season sidelined Federer for six months, the longest interruption of his career, but he made a return at the ATP Finals in London and finished the year in the top 10 for the first time since 2011.
Now almost three weeks since the ATP Finals ended, with Federer’s 20th career title at the O2 Arena last Sunday, the 33-year-old is contemplating how to spend the Christmas holidays.
“It’s a little early to talk about the tennis,” Federer told Swiss television station SRF before denying he would turn his back on the sport for the next few months.
“(After the ATP Finals) I had a definite conversation with the people I work with, the team, and then in the following days we talked a little bit more.
“We are thinking how to spend Christmas. We are thinking about what to do, because of the tournaments we are supposed to play, the unknowns in terms of injury and other things,” he added.
“That’s not a decision I take lightly. That’s something that, of course, I’m not going to take tomorrow. I’m not going to take two weeks from tomorrow.”
Australia’s Open, the first grand slam of the year, starts on Jan. 15. If Federer bows out before the third round, he will mark his 50th appearance at a major, which would become the record for the shortest stay in the second week of any major.
“I am not that stupid to say I’m not even a 100 percent done,” Federer added.
“What I can say is I don’t want to take any risks. I don’t want to jump into anything. I’m going to give myself a chance to make it good again next year.”