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Cape Town - After reaching the Wimbledon final and a best-ever world ranking of No 5, South Africa’s Kevin Anderson says he has no plans of slowing down.
The 32-year-old made headlines at Wimbledon this past fortnight, beating eight-time former champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals before reaching the final after a record six-hour, 36 minutes semi-final win over America’s John Isner.
Anderson lost in straight sets in the final to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. It was his second loss in a major final, having also lost in straight sets in last year’s US Open final to Spain's Rafael Nadal.
At 32, many would feel that Anderson’s chances of winning a Grand Slam in future are remote. However, the South African begs to differ.
“For the first time in the Open era, all four men’s singles semi-finalists at Wimbledon were over 30 years of age. Potentially we are getting better with age. There are a lot of men playing great tennis well into their thirties. The whole dynamic has definitely changed,” Anderson told Sport24 in an exclusive interview.
“A decade ago, players reaching the age of 30 were sort of coming to the end of their professional careers. The perspective has completely changed and you could say that 35 is the new 30. Federer is 36 and is playing his best tennis, and there is no reason I can’t still play my best tennis for years to come.”
Staying fit over the next few years will be of utmost importance, Anderson noted.
“Having the right outlook is important - people say that at this level (of professional competition) it’s mostly mental - but you have to take care of your body as well. It’s most important, especially as you get older. The work I do with my physiotherapist has been instrumental in keeping me healthy and it’s a big reason why I’m able to continue to improve my game. Which is why moving forward, my primary focus is on putting my body first, as I would like to stay fit and healthy.”
