Wouldn't be surprised if Roger Federer comes back, doesn't succeed, & ends his career: Russian coach Boris Sobkin

Noted Russian coach Boris Sobkin believes 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will find it difficult to get back to his previous level when he returns to the tennis circuit in 2021.

Roger Federer hasn't played since the Australian Open in January, where he reached the semifinals. The 39-year-old underwent two knee surgeries - one in February and another in June - after that, which forced him to skip the rest of the 2020 season.

Federer plans to return in 2021, but nobody knows whether his body will be able to cope with the rigors of the tour. And Boris Sobkin, who has worked with the likes of Evgeny Donskoy and Mikhail Youzhny in the past, recently gave a wide range of possible scenarios about how the Swiss' comeback could unfold.

The Russian claimed that Roger Federer might find it tough to consistently challenge his main rivals - Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - in 2021. He also suggested that the Swiss may not want to continue playing if his comeback doesn't go as planned.

"It is very difficult to predict what will happen to Roger Federer. I wouldn't be surprised if he no longer plays at all. Or he will start, but he will not succeed, and he may end his career. They began to bury Roger Federer a long time ago, but I would not rush. At the same time, his participation in the Big 3 is already in doubt. He has not played for a year, and even such a genius tennis player as Roger Federer will find it difficult to rise to the previous level," Sobkin said.

The younger players are ready to compete with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic: Boris Sobkin

Novak Djokovic; Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

Boris Sobkin, who is also a member of the Russian Tennis Hall of Fame, went on to talk about how the top players are at a different level right now. The Big 3 has been narrowed down to the 'Big 2' of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and the Russian is not sure whether Roger Federer can match their level anymore.

"Of course Roger will play, and play well, no doubt about that," Sobkin said. "But the question is about not just performing well, but at the top 3 level. This year we had the "Big 2", and all of the above guys have already reached a high level."

Sobkin also believes that Roger Federer's comeback might even be impacted by the rise of younger players such as Dominic Thiem, Daniil Mevedev and Alexander Zverev among others.

“The younger players, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev are really ready to compete with the Big 3 in terms of their level of play," the Russian added.