'For Roger Federer, it would be perfect to retire with Wimbledon crown,' said Stich

The 1991 Wimbledon champion Michael Stich spoke about Roger Federer, his comeback and an ideal way to say goodbye to tennis after over two decades spent on the Tour.

After over a year, Federer will compete again in Doha in two weeks, hoping for a fresh start after two knee surgeries. Roger would love to hit the form ahead of Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and the US Open, eager to return at his best and battle for the notable titles again.

"It is clear that Roger will stop at some point. Many would have thought that already five years ago. We have no influence on that. I would wish for him to win Wimbledon and say after the final: 'You know what, I had a sick time, I'll stop.' There couldn't be anything better, and that would give so much to the sport. You should never write him off because he is a player who has a gifted set of skills that help him to still play tennis that well at his age. He may have the problem that the younger generation no longer has this massive respect for him because he was out for a year. The mental side plays a significant role there.

Still, he remains a title contender at Wimbledon because of his All England Club mental strength and the greatest joy of playing there. The nice thing is that everyone is looking forward to his comeback and wants to see what happens. He has nothing to lose. He doesn't have to prove anything to himself or fans out there. He's really doing it because he thinks he can still win titles. As a spectator and fan, I naturally wish that the torch's passing would still happen during the active time of the 'Big Three.'

It's the big goal of all young players that they would like to beat Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in a Major final. Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka did that. It's up to the young generation now, and they are no longer 19. They are all 22, 23, 26. Dominic Thiem achieved it at the US Open. One would wish that they actively shape this transition, but that is looking into the future. We have a generation in which three players shaped this period extremely. Now is a chance for the others to step into the spotlight. The next generation will follow in their footsteps; I'm not worried about that," Michael Stich said.