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The Olympics are set to run from July 23 to
Aug. 8 after being postponed in March last year over the
coronavirus pandemic.
But Japan, battling a surge of infections, has extended until
the end of May a state of emergency in its capital, Tokyo, and
three areas.
"Honestly I don't know what to think. I'm a bit between the
two," Federer, who won a doubles gold in the 2008 Beijing Games
and a silver in singles four years later in London, told Swiss
television station Leman Bleu on Friday.
"I would love to play in the Olympics, win a medal for
Switzerland. It would make me especially proud. But if it
doesn't happen because of the situation, I would be the first to
understand.
"I think what the athletes need is a decision: is it going to
happen or is it not going to happen?
"At the moment, we have the impression that it will happen. We
know it's a fluid situation. And you can also decide as an
athlete if you want to go. If you feel there's a lot of
resistance, maybe it's better not to go. I don't know."
A petition calling for the cancellation of the rescheduled Games
garnered 350,000 signatures in nine days and was submitted to
organisers on Friday, raising new questions about whether the
Olympics should go ahead.
Rafa Nadal, who is tied with Federer at 20 for the most Grand
Slam singles titles in men's tennis, and 23-times Grand Slam
winner Serena Williams this week said they were still unsure of
competing in Tokyo.
Japan's top-ranked women's and men's tennis players - Naomi
Osaka and Kei Nishikori - also added their voice to the
concerns, saying the risks of holding the Olympics amid the
pandemic should continue to be carefully discussed.
Federer, a father of four, said he had taken the Pfizer-BioNTech
Covid-19 vaccine.
"I'm glad that I could do it, with all the travelling I do,"
said Federer, who will play the Geneva Open next week, his
second tournament since returning in March after a year out due
to knee problems.
"Even if I'm staying in Switzerland, I think there are
advantages. Above all, I did it for others because I don't want
to give it to anyone else, even if I still remain very careful.
"We're very careful with the family and with our friends."
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Berhampore, India; Editing by
Clarence Fernandez)
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