Kevin Anderson, who secured a career-high ATP singles ranking of fifth after reaching a pair of Grand Slams finals, says he isn’t placing too many expectations on himself as he takes the first steps on his return to the sport after 14 months away from the ATP Tour.
The South African, who reached the quarterfinals launching his comeback from retirement at the ripe age of 37 at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport last month, says he hasn’t set objectives for his return in the sport. He says he will assess his progress on a weekly basis, as he looks to defy father time and excel deeper into his 30s.
After reaching the Wimbledon final last month, Novak Djokovic proclaimed in his post-match interview that “36 is the new 26”. With the advancement in the medical field and recovery methods, players are pushing their bodies further. However, with Roger Federer retiring in 2022 and Rafael Nadal saying 2024 could be his curtain call, Anderson is also realistic about age challenges.
“Players are playing much later into their careers, which wasn’t the case a few decades ago — they are taking better care of their bodies,” Anderson told TimesLIVE Premium from Washington DC, where he lost to Australian Jordan Thompson in the round of 64 at the Citi Open. “Novak has set so many of the benchmarks many people use but is a unique case and, for most people, 36 is not the new 26.”
Anderson said decision to retire in May last year came as a culmination of years of pushing his body to the limit. He battled a plethora of physical ailments towards the latter part of his career and had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. There were days when everything was feeling OK but it was a constant battle to figure out how to return to where he could achieve the goals he wanted to.
After spending time in North Carolina with wife Kelsey and daughter Kiera, the hiatus from the sport did the man, who stands at 2.03m tall, well. Over and above time with his family and welcoming second daughter Emma, he immersed himself in learning to play golf, took up swimming, running and also did some boxing to satisfy his desire for physical exertion.
“Throughout this process my body was responding well,” said Anderson, who has amassed prize money of $17.7m (R328m) in his career. “The pain in my knee pretty much disappeared and I reconnected with tennis and was enjoying hitting balls. That’s what spurred the curiosity and inspiration to try to play tournaments again.”
Rather than money being a motivator, Anderson, who lost to Nadal in straight sets in the 2017 US Open final, said the opportunity to continue to test himself against the best and grow as a person is what drives him.
Carlos Alcaraz is obviously gifted physically but also the way he goes about it mentally is really impressive. I think if he stays healthy he has an opportunity to really dominate the sport for the several years.
— Kevin Anderson
“I’m facing different challenges in this setting and feel like I’m able to learn a lot from it,” said Anderson, who isn’t travelling with a support team or his wife who is looking after their children. He previously worked with coach Diego Moyano and physical therapist and osteopath Michel Remesy. The former coached Anderson from 2020 to 2022 and is now in American Coco Gauff’s box.
“I would love to say I am [looking further down the line] but I’m literally taking it week by week. Of course I know the US Open is coming up and it would be great to be at Flushing Meadows and play in a Grand Slam again but it’s not something I have committed to.”
After the US Open final, Anderson again raised the profile of South African tennis when he faced Djokovic in the 2018 Wimbledon final. He says those achievements are the pinnacle of his career but some of the smaller tournaments and matches were equally as memorable.
While Anderson has the option of a protected ranking, which a player can request when they are physically injured or do not compete in any tennis event for a minimum period of six months, his entry to his first two tournaments came courtesy of wild cards. “You don’t really have full access back into the events and if you’re not seeded there is a whole different element and challenge that you’re facing but that’s just part of the sport.”
While Anderson may be in the winter of his career, 20-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is in the spring of his after beating Djokovic in the SW19 final and claiming his second Grand Slam title. Though Anderson is yet to face the prodigious talent, he says Alcaraz is the real deal.
“Carlos is obviously gifted physically but also the way he goes about it mentally is really impressive. I think if he stays healthy he has an opportunity to really dominate the sport for the several years.”
If Anderson stays healthy, he says his comeback will serve as an opportunity to put some of the fears, doubts and expectations to one side and simply play the sport.
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