Pioline Sees No Big Wins In Federer’s Future

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 6th August 2013

Pioline Sees No Big Wins In Federer’s Future

French Cedric Pioline plays a backhand against German Michael Stich 04 July during the semi-final match at the Wimbledon Championships, 04 July. |

Tennis talking head Cedric Pioline has cast doubts on the ability of Roger Federer to bounce back and regain a top ranking place, with the former two-time grand slam finalist pronouncing the no. 5 Swiss done and dusted.

“I do not see Federer winning another grand slam,” a player whose career ended in 2000 told Tennis News Brazil. “At the level that the others are at like Murray, Djokovic and Nadal, with his physical problems, he doesn’t have enough energy to win another grand slam.”

Pioline, the part-time on-court “voice” of various French events including Roland Garros and the Bercy Masters, has become something of a comic relief character during his television appearances for his faulty English and often inane post-match questions to players.

But with an open platform at his disposal, the 44-year-old continued to spew out pronouncements about 17-time grand slam winner Federer: “It’s a mix of things, he’s almost 32, he’s is getting older, he has a family, and after 10 years near or at the top, your motivation drops, your desire to be in airports jumping tournament from to tournament decreases.”

Federer is not playing this week’s Montreal Masters due to back spasms he suffered last month as he made surprise appearances at clay events in Hamburg and at the alpine resort of Gstaad, where he lost in his opening match 10 days ago.

Pioline then put the boot in: “The moment of Federer is dissipating little by little and he can see it falling. The media is hammering him, it’s getting into his head. I do not know when he will stop, and surely he will play at least another year, but don’t be surprised if he retires at the end of 2014.”

Pioline won all of five titles in his career compared to 77 for Federer.