Former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich has backed Roger Federer to stun the tennis world by announcing his retirement at the All England Club this summer – but only if he emerges victorious.
Federer has been sidelined for the past year with a knee injury which required surgery.
The Swiss star skipped the Australian Open earlier this month but he is set to return at an ATP 250 event in Doha on March 8.
Federer is aiming to gradually build his fitness so he can peak at his favoured grass-court season.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will likely be the favourites to win the British Grand Slam this summer.
But if Federer is to come out on top to claim the 21st Major of his career then 1991 champ Stitch reckons that would be the best time to bow out of the sport he has dominated for two decades.
“It is clear that at some point he will stop,” Stich told Stats Perform News.
“Many would have thought that already five years ago. We have no influence on that. I would wish for him to win Wimbledon and say after the final: ‘You know what, I had a sick time, I’ll stop’.
“There couldn’t be anything better and that would give so much to the sport.”
Federer will celebrate his 40th birthday a month after the Wimbledon final but it is unlikely he will end his career in London.
“He may have the problem that the younger generation no longer has this huge respect for him because he was out for a year. The mental side plays a big role there.
“But especially at Wimbledon he is certainly still a candidate for the title, because there he has this mental strength, because there he has the greatest joy.
“The nice thing is that everyone is looking forward to his comeback and wants to see what happens.
“He has nothing to lose. He doesn’t have to prove anything to himself, he doesn’t have to prove anything to the fans out there. He’s really doing it because he thinks he can still win titles.”
