Federer will have knee surgery: “I'll be out for several months”

Roger Federer's body has once again said enough. The Swiss tennis player announced this Sunday through his social networks a new break to solve physical problems. This, he assured, will last “several months” given that he is going to undergo an operation to try to repair his right knee, which has been giving him so many problems in recent times.

The aim, says the Swiss, is to give himself “a pinch of hope to return in good shape” to the circuit. The surgery implies that he will not be at the US Open (it starts next day 30) and perhaps, although he did not refer to this tournament, neither at the Australian Open in January 2022.

“Since Wimbledon I have been in several check-ups with the doctors, trying to get more information, because the injury got worse during the grass season and I couldn't continue like this (…) It will be difficult (the break) in some way, but I know which is the right thing to do because I want to be healthy and play again, “he lamented. “I am realistic and I know how difficult it is at this age (40 years) to have surgery, but I will do it and go through the rehabilitation process,” he added before thanking the messages of encouragement and support from his followers.

It is not the first time that one of his knees has taken the Basel genius off the slopes. In February 2016, the left was operated on and had to stop from the Wimbledon semifinals to the 2017 Australian Open, six months. In 2020 he would have to undergo surgery twice more because of the right wing, which had 405 days in the dry dock. He returned to Doha this year and began scrupulously selecting his appearances. He gave up Dubai, like Nadal, and the entire clay season prior to Roland Garros except Geneva, where he was defeated by Andújar in the first round. In Paris he reached the last 16 and retired before playing against Berrettini for, he said then, “do not force too much” on his body.

Then came Halle, in preparation for Wimbledon, and the British Grand Slam, in which he would reach the quarters before falling to Hurkacz.. Nothing indicated then that this would be the last game of the season for the winner of 20 grand. But the knee led him to forfeit the Games and then Toronto. Now he says goodbye to the rest of the course and rekindles the questions about his retirement, which is becoming closer and closer.