Roger Federer to miss Australian Open 2021: Details here
Swiss maestro Roger Federer is set to miss the impending Australian Open as he continues to recover post his knee surgery. The agent and CEO of Federer's management company, Tony Godsick, confirmed the development through a statement on Monday. Notably, the former has been struggling with a knee injury for some time now. The same made him miss the 2020 season. Here is more.
Here is what Godsick asserted in the statement, regarding Federer's injury. "He has made strong progress in the last couple of months with his knee and his fitness. However, after consultation with his team, he decided that the best decision for him, in the long run, is to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open," he stated.
"In the end Roger ran out of time to get himself ready for the rigours of a Grand Slam and he's very disappointed he won't be coming to Melbourne in 2021," said tournament chief Craig Tiley.
Tennis legend, Federer, was among the entries announced for the coronavirus-disrupted Australian Open. Notably, he hasn't featured in a tournament since his Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic, having missed the rest of the season. During the season, he saw his counterpart Rafael Nadal emulate his all-time record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
In February this year, Federer underwent keyhole surgery on his knee. Later on, a follow-up operation ruled him out of the 2020 season. He had admitted that he might consider retirement following his second knee surgery. However, in his latest statement, he hinted to make a comeback soon. Recently, Federer was chosen as Fans' Favourite for a record 18th straight year.
Federer leaves the tournament which is studded with the world's top players, led by Novak Djokovic. The withdrawal comes as former world number one Andy Murray, was given a wild-card entry. The Grand Slam, which will be played in front of fans, has been pushed back three weeks to February 8. It was due to start on January 18, earlier.
