Federer Not Planning to Retire after London Olympics

Up to now the rest of the men’s tennis world has comforted themselves with the belief Roger Federer has long viewed the 2012 Olympic Games, played on his beloved lawns at Wimbledon’s All England Club, as the cut-off point of his ambitions. Now it seems the world no.1 is looking a lot further into the future.

Federer will be closing in on his 31st birthday when action begins at the Olympics on July 29, 2012 but slightly more than two years from the event, the Swiss is energized and has no intention of even contemplating a potential date for his retirement.

"People think I'm going to retire at the 2012 Olympics - which is not true,” said Federer in the plainest terms possible during an exclusive radio interview with the BBC. “It's just not something I'm even in the mood to think about.

Even though you never know because it depends on your body, I would like to play beyond that point. So we'll see how it goes.

“The moment you start questioning yourself and asking 'how am I going to go out of this sport' - well it's never crossed my mind.”

Nowadays Federer is a committed family man and his twin daughters Myla and Charlene will be three years old by then and nearing the age to begin their schooling and he admitted: “I don't have a problem saying this is the second half of my career because I do have kids and a lot of things have changed around me.”

Wife Mirka and the two infant girls are constant traveling companions and he maintains: “It's a lot of fun right now and I obviously want to do this as long as possible.”

The last 12 months have seen Federer write himself even deeper into the tennis record books and ownership of 16 Grand Slam titles as well as the imminent ‘Most Weeks in the No.1 Slot’ that is expected to become his property before this year’s title defense at Wimbledon, has served to replenish his appetite for success.

"Looking back now, one year ago I didn't have two daughters, I didn't have three more Slams and one more Slam final,” he said. “It's quite amazing what has happened in the last year.”