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Having endured a 2020 wipeout and seen Rafael Nadal equal his record of 20 Grand Slams, Roger Federer will edge towards his 40th birthday in 2021 with his eyes on an elusive Olympic singles gold medal despite fears over his long-term fitness.
Federer played just one tournament this year, a bumpy run to the semi-finals of the Australian Open, before knee surgery put him on the sidelines.
The Covid-19 pandemic, which caused a five-month shutdown as well as the cancellation of his beloved Wimbledon, forced him to call time on his season.
On the tour since 1998, Federer will be 40 on August 8, just a week after the men’s final at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.
“The big plan is to be there for the Olympics. It’s one of my big goals,” said Federer.
“Maybe it’s a little selfish, but it’s not a bad thing it was moved because of all the problems this year.”
Unlike Nadal, Federer has yet to win a singles gold at the Olympics although he did capture the doubles title with Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka in Beijing in 2008.
Nadal, whose 13th triumph at the delayed French Open in October also took him to 20 Slams, has no doubt that his rival and close friend remains a force.
“He has nothing more to prove, he has already shown that whenever he is well he can play at the highest level,” said the 34-year-old Spaniard.
Federer has other goals. His haul of 103 titles is just six short of Jimmy Connors’ all-time mark of 109.
