Tennis player Roger Federer has announced his knee surgery plans on social media.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has had persistent knee problems and injuries, and has struggled to get back to form. He has announced that he will go undergo knee surgery, and admitted that his condition means he won’t return to tennis for “many months”.
“I will be on crutches for many weeks and out of the game for many months,” Federer said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
“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 my age to go through another surgery. I will try it. I want to be healthy, I want to be running around.”
The surgery means he cannot compete in the US Open, a tournament he has won five times. It begins in two weeks, meaning Federer going for Number Six is impossible.
“I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors on my knee,” Federer said.
“I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and it’s just not the way to go forward. They told me to feel better, I’ll need surgery. I decided to do it.”
Hurdles
The 40-year-old admitted that he still hasn’t completely adjusted to the fact that recovery takes such a long time. He spoke about his thoughts on it, and addressed his worries.
“It was different before,” the Swiss said.
“The questions were simple: what is my place in the ranking? What will my next tournament be?
“Today, it’s more difficult: how do I feel when I start training again? What are my goals? How to reconcile all this with the family? What does the rest of the team say?” he said.
Fans have been dejected at this announcement, given Federer is in the twilight of his career. They worry this may accelerate his retirement from the sport, and hope he comes back for one last strong run in the sport.
We wish Federer a speedy recovery, and hope he returns quicker and better than expected.
Read more: Roger Federer: A look at the career and legacy of the Swiss tennis genius