Federer not ready for swansong

Former world No.1 Roger Federer doesn’t want this summer to be his Australian swan song.

Federer will make his long-awaited return from knee surgery in the Hopman Cup at Perth Arena from 1-7 January.

The 35-year-old says he’s unsure what sort of form he’ll produce this summer after spending the past six months on the sidelines.

But he’s hoping to stay in the game for several more years in a bid to add to his 17 Grand Slam titles, claiming retirement isn’t part of his thought process just yet.

“Only when I get asked do I think of things like this,” Federer said in Perth on Friday.

“Honestly I don’t see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be.

“I’m really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so.

“So my mindset is for the long-term.”

Federer will partner former world No.7 Belinda Bencic in a strong Swiss team at the Hopman Cup.

And he has received a rock star reception since arriving in Perth earlier this week.

Around 6000 fans attended his open training session on Thursday, and he was mobbed by kids during a promotional beach tennis game at Cottesloe beach on Friday.

> GALLERY: thousands gather for Federer’s practice

Federer hasn’t won a major title since his Wimbledon success in 2012, and he’s now slipped to No.16 in the world rankings.

But the Swiss maestro remains optimistic about what the tail-end of his glittering career will bring.

“Winning titles is a beautiful feeling. Rankings at the moments is completely secondary,” Federer said.

“As long as I’m healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage. Then I hope to beat the best when it matters the most.”

Federer said it would be hard to predict how he’ll fare this summer given he’s spent so long out of the game.

“No one knows how I’m really doing, even myself,” Federer said.

“Fans don’t, opponents don’t. I think it’s actually quite intriguing to find out this month.”