Roger Federer to take a break from tennis

Tennis ace Roger Federer will take a two month break from the sport to spend time with his family. Reports say that the Swiss will take the break following the Indian Wells tournament in March.

Federer spoke before the start of the Dubai Championships on Monday and stressed on the fact that his lighter schedule was to help him play for more time to come as he looks to add to his record haul of 17 grand slam singles titles.

“The last few years have been really tricky in terms of my practice schedule, especially through an Olympic year [in 2012],” said the world No 2. “This year is totally different. Family is very important, so I also want to spend quality time with them.”

After the Indian Wells tournament, which takes place between 4-17 March, Federer will only play the Madrid Open in early May, allowing him to take a holiday with his family, after which he plans to spend a couple of weeks practising on clay courts in Switzerland.

“I can’t play a year like I did last year every single season because that isn’t the point I’m at in my career. I’m not 22 where I have to play 25-30 tournaments a year,” said Federer, who has twin three-year-old daughters. “Plus, I believe I’ll be really ready for the tournaments I’ve entered.”

“I’m trying to be smart with my scheduling because I’m in a totally different situation than they are. They are right in their prime,” he said.

“For me it’s very challenging and why I need to make the right decisions with personal life and my family. None of the guys have that, so I have many more things to worry about than they do.”