Roger Federer crashed to his heaviest defeat at Wimbledon as he was knocked out in straight sets by Hubert Hurkacz on Wednesday in the quarter-final.
Federer, who turns 40 next month, lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 to a player 15 years his junior. While it was expected to be a tough fight against the 14th seed, the manner of his exit turned out to be a shock.
It was only the eight-time Wimbledon champion’s 14th defeat at the tournament in 119 matches and his first straight-sets loss since an opening round exit against Mario Ancic in 2002. It was also the first time he had lost a set 6-0 at Wimbledon.
The crushing loss cast will inevitably case a doubt over his future. The 39-year-old has struggled to make a consistent comeback after undergoing two knee surgeries in 2020 and missing more than 14 months of action. He reached the final eight at Wimbledon with a mixed bag, being taken to a decider in the very first round. After he seemed to have found some momentum in the previous couple of matches, it came undone in the quarter-final, the 18th time he had come this far in 22 appearances. Against Hurkacz, he looked off colour for most part, missing easy shots and struggling to close out points.
Whether we will have Federer return to the famous courts when is a 40 something, remains to be seen.
Here’s a look at some of the reactions to his defeat:
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