Andy Murray warned by Wimbledon champ Roger Fererer to not rush back from hip injury
The two-time champ, 30, pulled out of the Australian Open last month after surgery on the problem but is targeting a July return
ROGER FEDERER told Andy Murray NOT to rush back to play at Wimbledon — unless he is 100 per cent fit.
Murray has been out since last year’s SW19 due to a hip injury.
The two-time champ, 30, pulled out of the Australian Open last month after surgery on the problem.
But he is targeting a return before Wimbledon in July.
Muzza claimed there is ‘no question’ he can compete at the highest level again — even if he is only 95 per cent fit.
Yet tennis legend Federer cast doubt on such optimism.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, 36, said: “What I have learned for myself is, just to be very patient.
“And to only come back when you really are at 100 per cent. Not when you are 92 per cent or 85 per cent.
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“However it may feel at times, you’ve got to run for every drop shot that is hit — and every tough shot which is hit behind you.
“And if you can’t do that in practice, then I have come to realise — especially coming back from an injury — that it’s best just to wait.
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“It happens sometimes during a tournament that you are hurt and are struggling.
“But nobody knows you are hurt and then it’s OK. But if people know you’ve had a problem then it’s best to wait it out, train really hard, and get back out at 100 per cent.
“I wish Andy all the best — I saw him a couple of days after his surgery in Melbourne and he seemed in great spirits.
“He’s been a hardcore tennis player for a long time now, so I think having time to really unwind is also a very positive thing moving forward.”
Federer took a five-month break from the sport in 2016, in order to recover fully from a persistent knee injury.
But he came back to court with a bang, winning his EIGHTH Wimbledon title last summer as well as successive Australian Opens.
And the Swiss star urged Murray not to worry about injuries when back playing, because it will restrict his game.
Federer was confirmed as the greatest athlete of all time at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2018 in Monaco last night.
He claimed both the Laureus Sportsman of the Year and Comeback of the Year awards, the fifth and sixth Laureus awards of his career.
He added: “My greatest challenge going forward is managing my schedule and staying injury free.
“You have to be a bit more careful — but you don’t want to become so careful that it becomes unenjoyable.
“I don’t need to play so much tennis to play good tennis and that allows me to take sufficient breaks. So then when I do play, I feel very hungry and very motivated.
“It’s an interesting stage of my life, I never thought I would play with the schedule that I have today. I always thought I was going to play 20 to 25 tournaments every year until I retire.
“I can’t worry about injuries all the time or I will never be free. It will be like being locked in a cage — and I can’t reach my maximum potential on a tennis court.
“Of course, sometimes when you are not feeling well, like at the US Open last year, you just hope you come out of the tournament in one piece.
“I try to make a conscious effort with my fitness coaches to say, ‘Don’t always ask me how I am feeling.’
“Yesterday they asked me, ‘How are you, are you feeling anything in any part of your body?’, and I said, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine, please don’t ask me, it’s all good!’”
Federer also admitted the old guard like him, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic are making it extremely hard for the next generation to shine.
He is still excited about youngsters coming through — such as Brit Kyle Edmund — but doubts whether any player will ever go on to dominate the sport like he has.
He said: “It’s definitely hard to see one player right now getting to ten slams.
“Probably some of the guys are going to win a slam or two — but winning ten is not something you can predict.
“I don’t think many people predicted it with me!
“Right now, of course we are like a shadow over the game, clearly we don’t allow them to completely flourish yet.
“The moment we are gone, I think it will be very exciting.”
The Laureus World Sports Awards highlight sporting excellence, but more than ever the Awards celebrate and recognise those who use sport to change lives for the better. For more information, head to www.laureus.com/awards