Roger Federer Might Miss the Australian Open and Maybe Wimbledon


“If you take the logic a little further, it doesn’t make much difference whether I return in 2022 or not until 2023,” he said. “40 or 41 years old, same. The real question is whether I can continue to push myself every day. Today my heart says yes. So I’m going step by step. This is another challenge, as I have faced many times in my career, sometimes without the public realizing it. And even though I know very well that the end is near, I want to try to play bigger matches. It will not be easy, but we will try.”

Despite his smooth play, Federer played lots of inconvenience over the years: Dealing with back problems from her early 20s and recurring knee pain in the second half of her career. Of course, there is the possibility to continue his rehabilitation and come to the conclusion that the return is impossible. Doctors who did not treat Federer have suggested that the long recovery time indicates that this latest surgery was an attempt to regenerate the articular cartilage in his right knee, perhaps with surgery for a microfracture.

“Basically, there are two types of knee cartilage: one is meniscus and the other is articular cartilage,” said Bill Mallon, an American orthopedic surgeon and former professional golfer. “Articular cartilage is the covering of bone that allows nearly frictionless movement of the knee joint. Articular cartilage has very little blood supply, so it regenerates very poorly, if any. And the ability to regenerate completely depends on age. The younger you are, the better your chances of regenerating that cartilage.”

Federer tied with longtime rivals Rafael Nadal and Djokovic for a record 20 men’s singles Grand Slam titles. Nadal, who has been out of the field since August due to recurring foot problems, announced that he plans to return to the tour in January. But Nadal, 35, and Djokovic, 34, are significantly younger than Federer, and the other men who have appeared in the elite ATP Finals are even younger, all in their early 20s.

“Obviously Roger is an icon of our sport and people around the world love him,” Djokovic said after advancing to the semi-finals in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Andrey Rublev in Turin on Wednesday. Said. “They like to watch him play, they like to see him around.” “I’m sure you didn’t want to end your career that way,” Djokovic added.



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