Sad news for tennis fans, as Roger Federer will be out again in the foreseeable future. The 20-time major champion confirmed the unfortunate development in a social media post, saying he won't be playing the US Open as he will be sidelined for many months due to another knee surgery.
According to Federer in his Instagram post, he had been doing many checks with the doctors after he hurt his knee during the grass-court season and the Wimbledon Championships. Federer followed the doctors' advice to get surgery to alleviate the pain in his knee.
"I decided to do it. I will be on crutches for many weeks and then also out of the game for many months," Federer said.
Retirement a possibility for Federer
Federer acknowledged that retirement is a possibility after another injury setback, but he will try his hardest to rehab his knee and come back to the tennis courts soon.
"I want to give myself a glimmer of hope to return to the tour in some shape or form. I am realistic, don't get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it," the Swiss added.
Federer is in an epic race with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to determine who is the GOAT in men's tennis, with all three of them having 20 Grand Slam titles each at this stage. Given his knee problems, Federer will have his work cut out for him to add to his major tally.
The 40-year-old missed more than a year of action after having his knee repaired shortly after the Australian Open in February 2020. In June of that same year, Federer then had a follow-up procedure, ruling him out for the entire 2020 season.
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Federer's 2021 return short-lived
Federer made his much-awaited Grand Slam return at the 2021 French Open in late May, recording three victories before pulling out of the tournament. He made it to the second week of Wimbledon but fell in the quarterfinals against Hubert Hurkacz to end his grass-court season in disappointment.
Many expected Federer to go to Tokyo to attempt winning his first Olympic gold medal in men's singles, but he surprisingly withdrew, citing the knee injury. He's now out of the US Open as well, which begins August 30 in New York.
If this is indeed the end of Federer's career, he will bow out as one of the greatest tennis players ever. He won a total of 16 Grand Slam titles from 2003-2010, surpassing Pete Sampras for most major wins by a male tennis player. After a barren run, Federer made a stunning resurgence from 2017-2018, winning two Australian Open titles and a Wimbledon crown.
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