On the eve of the US Open, Roger Federer, while in Switzerland, gave luck to the best football club in his city, FC Basel, in an all-or-nothing Europa Conference League match against the Bulgarian team CSKA Sofia that took place Thursday.
FC Basel came into the game after being beaten 1-0 in Sofia, needing a 2-goal win to qualify. The match ended 2-0 for Basel, who scored in the 84th minute. “Mission accomplished. Approved by Roger Federer. What a team!” Basel tweeted after qualifying.
FC Basel player Kasim Nuhu Adams was surprised by Federer’s visit. “I can’t believe it,” Adams said. The 20-time Major champion is confident in his return, which should come in his favorite, the Laver Cup, in September.
“We knew that the recovery would take a long time. I am very active, I go to the gym five or six times a week. I still do not play much tennis, a little with the children, although I could do more. My goal is to be ready for LC and Basel,” said Roger Federer.
The Basel ATP 500 event will host the top ATP players for the first time in three years in the last week of October. The prestigious indoor tournament was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and the organizers are working hard to prepare everything for the new edition.
Carlos Alcaraz will compete for the first time in Basel in October.
Federer is a 20-time Grand Slam champion
John McEnroe gave a long interview, in which he varied on different topics concerning the racket. The former world number 1 also spoke about Roger Federer.
“This is a huge question, but I am unable to give you an absolute answer. As far as I’m concerned, I didn’t want the farewell tour, but he’s obviously in a very different position than I was in. It depends on the person, some people like it, they are showered with gifts and love – who wouldn’t? But at the same time, I don’t think Roger wants to go out and lose in the first or second round and he’s 41.
I thought he would play the Laver Cup and then go to Basel and retire. It seemed to make sense, because the physicist was unable to reach the level he needed. But he said he wants to play next year and who am I to say he shouldn’t? He should definitely do what he wants.
So, I don’t know, but if he wants to play next year and is thinking about playing the Australia Open, or playing these events, he knows what it takes to do that – and he’s not going there to lose in the first round.
It will be an interesting decision that he will make, I don’t know what will happen. He is the most handsome player he has ever seen and is the embodiment of class.”
