What the HECK? Roger has not only pulled from next week’s Stockholm event (an event he never should have entered), but now says he doesn’t know when he’ll return – MAYBE by the end of the year, he says. Here’s the statement from his website.
2008 has been a tough year for me as I was always playing catch up after being diagnosed with mononucleosis at the beginning of the year. I feel fortunate to be healthy again, but I want to remain at the top of the game for many more years to come and go after the #1 ranking again. In order to do that, I need to get a proper rest and get strong again so that I am 100% fit for the remainder of the year or next year. At this point, I am not sure when I will be ready to play again, but I hope to be back at some point before the end of the year. I apologize to the tennis fans in Sweden as I was looking forward to playing in Stockholm again. The country has produced so many incredible tennis players and the tournament has such a great history. I hope to be able to come back at some point in the future.
I’m all for him taking some time off – I’m sure Davis Cup took a lot out of him along with everything else that happened to him this year. But this vague language about not being sure when he’ll be ready to play again worries me. Is he still burnt out, injured or sick?
What do y’all think – wise move or scary development?
Tags: fededer, roger, stockholm
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I’m all for it. If anybody has earned a break, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or astrological, it’s Fed.
Someone as controlling as Fed seems to be must have been completely thrown off his rocker by the illness at the start of the year and says as much in the statement. It’s totally mental. He also says he was “playing catch up” the whole year which is probably mentally draining as well. He wants a break – especially knowing the year-end no. 1 is pretty much out of reach.
Again, to me it doesn’t matter the reason. He’s earned the benefit of the doubt.
Without a doubt, taking a few weeks off should be good for him – so that would be a Wise Move.
But if he does not come back in time for the Masters Cup Finals in Shanghai next month, it would mean that something more serious is going on – a Scary Development.
I think that Roger is just hoping that I’ll host the winter version of the Slip and Slide Spa and Retreat for Overachieving Burnouts and invite him pronto.
HIs ploy is working too, because I’m already off to plan a plethora of activities that can be run in and around Boyland here. And so far, I’ve come up with shopping, dancing to bad 80s music, a few rounds on the PS3 and daily laps in the pool.
I’ll make sure that I quiz him about the vague language before he checks out.
It’s gotta be burnout. He’s already lost #1, so losing points doesn’t really matter. I think it’s a wise move. I know there isn’t a chance of this happening, but I would love to see him not play for the rest of the year, cancel the exhibitions, drop all the way down to #8 or 9. Then come roaring back at the Aussie.
freaky I had the same reaction as you when I first read that statement, especially as Roger always seemed to minimize the effect of the mono in his statements while he was playing.
However, 4 events in a row was clearly too many and I could see him waiting till Basle and then Paris (is that the order) so he’d still have a chance in Shanghai. Personally I’m not in love with the Masters because I hate round robin tournaments with a passion – though to his credit Fed has often won it without losing a match – but that’s a long time to be off unless he’s ill and we all clearly hope very much he’s not.
So, if he is okay, I could see him coming back in a couple of weeks – let’s hope that’s the case.
I don’t get why Rog entered Stockholm in the first place. So random.
Rich, I think you predicted that Roger’s coming back after Madrid. I think you’re right. Maybe Paris and the masters?
Hey all! I suspect burnout and I was expecting him to pull out of Stockholm. I didn’t expect such a vague statement though. I do think he’ll play in the tyear end championships, however. If he doesn’t, then we’ll know something else is going on.
Whatever … I am very pleased he’s taking a break. I thought that his proposed end of year schedule was much too heavy.
I don’t know – he doesn’t have a lot of points to defend at the last two Masters b/c he lost early to Nalby in both last season. So he could skip them completely and it wouldn’t matter. Another Masters Series shield ain’t cuttin’ it anymore.
Plus, he’s not getting year-end no. 1 so he’s prob thinking he can grab an extended break and go into Shanghai relatively cold, roll the dice, and try his best to defend his title. He’s got nothing to lose at this point so why not?
Hey Rich. He still hasn’t won Paris, the second-biggest indoor title out there. I assume he’d make a go at that one, at least for the sake of warming up before the last event of the year.
And hey everyone, I kind of have mixed feelings about the Stockholm pullout: Sure, he might need the rest, but that really has to suck big-time for the Stockholm organizers and fans. But I guess that’s the price they pay for rolling the dice. As many of you said, I didn’t really expect him to show up there, not with three Masters tournaments and his home-town event on the docket. Something was going to get cut out.