Agassi supports Federer’s decision to stay away from clay
Former world number one Andre Agassi has given his support to Roger Federer, regarding the Swiss star’s decision to forgo the clay court season.
For the last two seasons, the 36-year-old has opted to forfeit competitions on the red surface, saving his body for the grass season.
It seems to have been a wise decision. Federer won at Wimbledon last year for the first time since 2012, and either side of that has claimed the last two Australian Opens.
Not everyone is happy with the veteran’s move though. Some fans and pundits have criticised Federer for “picking and choosing” his tournaments.
Agassi however, is not interested in what the naysayers have to say.
The American said:
I do not agree with those who say that it is bad for tennis because it is very difficult to win all that you have won,
You are making the right decisions to keep winning.
Of course it is a pity for the fans not to see him in the dirt tournaments but I really want him to be careful so that he is in the circuit much longer.
‘Only’ one of Federer’s 20 Grand Slams has come on the clay at the French Open, but the all-time great has deferred to his historic adversary Rafael Nadal, allowing the Spaniard to play out his career in almost sole dominance of the tournament at Roland Garros – Nadal has won ten of the last thirteen iterations of the Parisian classic.
Agassi sent out a warning to the tennis faithful who were criticising the twilight years of Federer’s career:
I understand that you miss him when he is not there but one day he will retire and you will be missed forever.