Two-time Olympic medal winner Federer nominated for Tokyo Games by Swiss Tennis Federation

Federer won the doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the singles silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics

Roger Federer at London Olympics in 2012

Roger Federer of Switzerland during his Olympic Men’s Singles tennis match against Julien Benneteau of France at Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. Monday 30th July 2012. Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung / photosport.co.nz

Haresh Ramchandani

July 5, 2021

Roger Federer has been officially nominated for the Tokyo Olympics, which begin later this month, by the Swiss Tennis Federation.

Federer, who was absent for more than a year on the tour between February 2020 and March 2021, is a two-time Olympic medalist, winning the doubles gold medal alongside Stan Wawrinka at the 2008 Beijing Games, and the singles silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

116 Athletinnen und Athleten gehen #AllIn4Tokyo, darunter @rogerfederer

Der Tennisstar wurde zusammen mit 13 weiteren Athlet*innen aus den Sportarten Tennis, Schwimmen und Springreiten für @Tokyo2020 selektioniert. https://t.co/VtvDK1t5SR pic.twitter.com/EiUpIoISwb
— Swiss Olympic Team (@swissteam) July 5, 2021

Tokyo will mark the fifth Olympics appearance for the Swiss, who has played every Summer Olympic Games, starting from the 2000 Sydney Games, except the 2016 Rio Games which he skipped due to the knee injury he sustained that year.

Federer could play mixed doubles in Tokyo with Belinda Bencic

With Stan Wawrinka being sidelined due to a knee surgery, Switzerland did not make the cut for the men’s doubles event. However, Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic have qualified for the women’s singles and women’s doubles event in Tokyo. If Federer does choose to play the mixed doubles event, he will likely team up with Bencic, whom he has successfully partnered to win the Hopman Cup for Switzerland in 2018 and 2019.

Decision regarding Mixed Doubles will be taken in Tokyo. We have to keep in mind, that Federer (and Bencic and Golubic) could retire the weeks prior to the Games as Federer, Bencic and Wawrinka did ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
— Simon Häring (@_shaering) July 5, 2021

“I will know in a few weeks” – Federer’s response on playing Olympics before the start of Wimbledon

During his interaction with the media on the Saturday before the start of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Federer had said he would like to go to Tokyo but added that he would take a final decision only after Wimbledon.

“Yeah, with the team we decided we’re going to reassess the situation after Wimbledon because it’s going to have an impact on my — obviously if I play really good here or really bad, I think it has an impact on how everything might look for in the summer. Still my feeling is I would like to go to the Olympics. I would like to play as many tournaments as possible. But I think we decided now let’s just get through Wimbledon, sit down as a team, and then decide where we go from there. I wish I could tell you more. In previous years it was definitely easier. At the moment things are not as simple as in the past. With age you have to be more selective. You can’t play it all. I will know in a few weeks.”

Federer is through to the fourth round at the ongoing Wimbledon Championships and will take on 23rd seeded Lorenzo Sonego for a spot in the quarter-finals later today.