“Regardless of Roger Federer's comeback pathway, winning a 21st singles Major seems impossible given his knees, age and the effort it takes” - Pam Shriver

Roger Federer has been on the sidelines for more than a year now. The 40-year-old was forced to withdraw from the 2021 Wimbledon Championships due to an injury, after which he underwent knee surgery.

During his time on the sidelines, the 20-time Major champion has fallen behind in the all-time Grand Slam title race, with Rafael Nadal now in the lead with 22, and has also tumbled down the ATP rankings.

Speaking to ESPN about the former World No. 1’s impending comeback, former World No. 3 Pam Shriver said that it’d take an incredible turn of events for Federer to win a 21st Grand Slam title.

“Federer is giving fans a better idea of his rehab process after his knee surgery of last summer. His social media posts and quotes indicate a late-season return to competition. A big question will be: Can Roger play the best-of-five format the Majors demand in 2023, when he will be 41 years old,” Shriver said.

“Regardless of Federer's comeback pathway, winning a 21st singles Major seems impossible given his knees, age and the effort it takes to win seven matches with a three-of-five-set format,” she added.

Former World No. 1 Renna Stubbs, on the other hand, was a little more positive about the idea of Federer winning his 21st Major.

“I don't think Federer is going to play unless he feels he can be competitive, so I expect him to do just that. It won't be easy as he's not getting any younger, but with his game and his experience and success, I would suspect he will do very well,” Stubbs said.

Shriver, however, stated that not winning another Grand Slam will in no way affect his standing as one of the game’s great players ever.

“Federer doesn’t need to win another match in his GOAT career. He is an iconic champion we have been lucky to watch for over two decades,” Shriver said.

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Roger Federer confirms Laver Cup participation

Roger Federer in action at the 2019 Laver Cup.

Roger Federer's much-anticipated return to action is on the horizon, with the Swiss maestro announcing his decision to play in the Laver Cup later this year. The tournament is scheduled to take place from September 23 to 25 in London. He withdrew from the event last year due to a knee problem but came down to Boston to see the action live.

Federer will represent Team Europe in the fifth edition of the Laver Cup, a tournament started by his management company Team 8 and named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver.

Speaking about his return earlier this year, the 40-year-old said that he was excited about competing once again.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back into competition later this year and Laver Cup is very much part of my plan. It’s no secret that I love the event and I’m super excited to be returning to The O2 and to London, one of the greatest cities in the world,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion.