"He's risking making a fool of himself" - Ioan Tiriac on Federer comeback

Ioan Tiriac believes a comeback by Roger Federer is risky because he could make a fool of himself after such a long time.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t played a match since his quarter-final loss at Wimbledon last year due to knee surgery. Speaking about the Swiss Maestro during an interview with claytennis.com, 83-year-old Tiriac says he has some reservations about his return to action.

He said:

"You can play tennis for fun. Which would be a great thing. Although, pay attention: it would be a pity if he made a fool of himself. I see it as a danger because he hasn’t played for so long… And he also makes mistakes."

Tiriac further said:

"Coming to Roland Garros last year and left saying no, that he wants to prepare for Wimbledon. How can he afford to tell a Grand Slam like Roland Garros that he is going to leave for Wimbledon? He walks to Wimbledon directly, and he’s done."

To be fair the elderly Tiriac misremembered as Federer withdrew before his 4th round clash to better prepare for Wimbledon. It was later revealed he was already suffering problems with his knee.