Becker boost for Federer career extension

The Covid-19 pandemic has given hope that Roger Federer will extend his career after recovering from knee surgery earlier this year.

And tennis legend Boris Becker believes Federer and Serena Williams will be able to extend their careers due to the loss of tennis this year.

“If the year is lost then I don’t think it’s bad for Federer or Serena,” the former World number 1 told UK Sky Sports.

“They haven’t really abused their body for a year so in a way they have gained a year.”

And Becker said he believed Andy Murray might make a return.

“I think it is good for players like Andy Murray because it gives him more time to get physically ready to come back in 2021,” Becker said.

But Becker said he didn’t think enforced breaks would benefit younger players.

“I don’t think the young players benefit because they lose a year gaining experience and playing matches. If any group I think they will be affected the most because they have never taken that much time off,” he said.

“It benefits more [Novak] Djokovic, Nadal and Federer because they know how good they are and what to do. We will not see a change of form from them but the young players will take more time to come back.”

Nadal meanwhile, has said Djokovic will need to be vaccinated to keep playing if coronavirus shots are made mandatory once they become available.

Nadal said no one can be forced to take the vaccine and everyone should be free to make their choices, but all players will have to comply if tennis officials require “vaccination to travel” and to “protect” everyone on the tour.

“Then Djokovic will have to be vaccinated if he wants to keep playing tennis at the top level,” Nadal told Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia.

“The same for me. Everyone will have to follow the rules, just like now we have to stay at home.”

Djokovic recently said he was against taking a vaccine, even if it became mandatory to travel. He later said he was open to changing his mind.

There is currently no vaccine available against the virus, which has killed more than 270,000 people around the world.