Tennis superstar Roger Federer is still not guaranteed to return soon to the Australian Open.
World No. 5 Roger Federer said that he is still not ready to play in the Australian Open. Following his recovery from two knee surgeries, he expected that he would touch the racket soon.
The 39-year-old Grand Slam winner was on the verge of caving in, as he said that his recovery took a longer time than he expected.
Federer's last match was on January 30 when he bowed out to Rank No. 1 Nova Djokovic in three straight sets of the Australian Open semifinals.
During the awards ceremony in Switzerland, Roger Federer honestly revealed that he could not come back even if the season is delayed. Even if the first match of the season's first major tennis competition will be moved from January 9 to February 8, he will run out of time to prepare for it.
The Australian Open is tentatively set on January 18 to 31 next year, but in line with the COVID-19 protocols, reports suggested to reschedule it to February 8 to 21.
"I would have hoped that I would be 100% in October. But I am still not today. It will be tight for the Australian Open," Federer said.
The Swiss professional player might have other priorities in the meantime. His latest goal is to win the U.S. Open, the Wimbledon Open, and the Tokyo Olympics.
Roger Federer has a clear pursuit of the gold medals in the elusive singles matches. Yet, he doubts that his last match against Djokovic could already be his final appearance in the court.
Federer was still optimistic when he said that it is an incredible way to retire if ever that happens.
"It's a race against time for the Australian Open. I'm curious to see whether it will start on February 8. Of course, it would help if I had a bit more time," the 20-time Grand slam winner said.
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Roger Federer shares his record with Spanish marvel Rafael Nadal, who also had a total of 20 Singles Grand Slam wins.
Federer's five-setter loss against Milos Raonic handed him a lurching defeat and an injured right knee in the 2016 Wimbledon Open.
The six-time Tour Finals victor saw this as an opportunity to bounce back. Roger Federer mirrored his previous fall, coming from a six-month hiatus due to injury. He flushed Nadal in five sets to win his fifth Australian Open title in 2017.
Meanwhile, Tennis Australia hopes that the crowd for the Australian Open will increase to 50 percent so that they could cater to more visitors. The Australian government and the management assure the safety of the spectators under strict COVID-19 protocols.
Federer planned to take his time to heal until he is at his 100 percent to play at his best. The Swiss admitted that he misses his fans and his tour, but he is looking forward to what 2021 offers to him.
Roger Federer received the 'incredible' award for being the Best Swiss Sportsman in the past 70 years during Sunday's Swiss Sports Award.
"I hope that in 2021 I will return to the courts. We will see," Federer concluded.
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