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Cape Town - Tennis superstar Roger Federer says he is ready to return to playing after being out of action since Wimbledon, taking a six-month-break after needing knee surgery in July.
In an interview with the New York Times, the 35-year-old former world number one said that he was feeling "refreshed and rejuvenated" by his time off the tour but had no intention of retiring quite yet. He expects to be in action at the first grand slam of the year, the Australian Open, in January.
"I did get that taste of retirement," Federer said. "All of the sudden, I could be organised and say: 'OK, we're going to be four weeks at home in a row in the same place. Who do you want to go for dinner with, Mirka? Or who shall we catch up with?
"I think that was really exciting and good for us to have that time. And it felt good, you know? It did feel good, but it can totally wait. No problem for me. It can totally wait."
Federer, a father of four, who is married to former player Mirka Vavrinec, said his family were behind him getting back on the tour and though the kids had enjoyed him being home, they loved travelling with their father to watch him play around the world.
"Mirka is totally committed, totally happy," said the 17-time grand slam winner. "The kids love it, and I'm still hungry. And now I'm even refreshed and rejuvenated.
"The kids were asking, 'When are we leaving again?' Because they were happy to get back on the road.
"It was like, 'When are we going the next time to Australia, or the next time to New York?' And I've been saying, 'Not for a while.'"
The Swiss legend confirmed that he had been training full-steam for about a month, having been on three-month rehabilitation where he was training around one hour per day.
