Arriving in Australia ahead of a new season, the tennis legend takes a trip to Rottnest Island and says it’s hard to imagine he’ll play as well in 2018

Roger Federer hopes 2018 won’t be his last year on tour, but says it’s hard to imagine how he can repeat his “magical” 2017 season.

Revitalised after a 14-day family holiday in the Maldives, Federer has arrived in Australia ready to embark on his milestone 20th year on the professional tennis tour.

The Swiss superstar touched down in Perth just after midnight on Thursday. Later he took a promotional trip to Rottnest Island – his second, he said – to meet their native quokkas. (“I thought it was like a bigger mouse, but it’s more like a smaller kangaroo,” he told reporters.)

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Federer will play in the Hopman Cup starting on Saturday, where last year he started one of the most remarkable seasons of his unparalleled career.

The 36-year-old knows he faces tennis’s version of mission impossible to replicate his extraordinary 2017 campaign, when he won the Australian Open in his first official tournament back after six months out rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee.

He also landed an unprecedented eighth Wimbledon men’s singles crown - without dropping a set for the first time - to take his record grand slam tally to 19.

All up, Federer won a tour-topping seven titles, lost just five matches and finished as the oldest year-ending world No 2 in history.

He says if 2018 is half as successful, he’ll be happy. “Expectations are higher now but I try to remind myself: ‘Just don’t think it’s normal and realistic to aim for the same things I did this year in 2017’,” he said.

“It’s hard to imagine that I’ll play as good as I did last year. This season has just been magical. I’ve got to try and keep it cool. Try my best and see what happens, but the preparation’s been good so far. We’ll see how things go.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Roger Federer with local children on Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia. Photograph: Tony Ashby/AFP/Getty Images

Federer insists he has given no thought to retirement, but is also aware he might be only one serious injury away from his career ending.

“It could be anywhere my last time because if I get hurt down the stretch, all of a sudden this could be it as well,” Federer said.

“We know how I hurt my knee last time around - by running a bath for the girls. Some things are fragile in my body and sometimes accidents do occur. I hope it’s not my last year on tour. I hope there’s more to come. But again, time will tell. At the moment, I take it a tournament - or a season - at a time.

“Anything I win from here on forward is a massive bonus and a kind of surprise because I didn’t expect myself to play as good as I am today at 36, 37. It’s about staying healthy and enjoying myself.”

Federer will again partner Belinda Bencic at the Hopman Cup, his only event before launching his Melbourne Park title defence on 15 January. Switzerland begin group play on Sunday against the Japanese team of Yuichi Sugita and Naomi Osaka.

