BEVERLY HILLS, December 14, (THEWILL) – Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer is facing a “race against time” to be fit enough for the Australian Open as he recovers from two surgeries on his knee. The 39-year-old has not played a competitive match since losing to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne in January.
In October, Federer said that he expected to return for the first Grand Slam of the year, which is the Australian Open, but is now unsure whether he will be 100 per cent fit.
“I would have hoped that I would be 100% in October. But I am still not today. It will be tight for the Australian Open,” said Federer at an awards ceremony in Switzerland in Sunday, where he was an honouree.
“It’s a race against time. I’m curious to see whether it will start on February 8. Of course, it would help if I had a bit more time.
“The second knee operation was a huge damper, but in the last six months there has been steady progress.
“Let’s see how the next two months will unfold. I’ve been doing a lot of physio and physical work lately, now let’s see how the tennis is doing.”
The 2021 Australian Open was billed to take place between Monday, January 18 and Sunday, January 31. However, COVID-19 protocols and restrictions have been responsible for it to being pushed back to a Monday, February 8 to Sunday, February 21 window.
This three-week delay still appears insufficient for Federer, who has won the Australian Open six times. The veteran tennis player was voted the best Swiss athlete since 1950 at Sunday’s ceremony and described it was an “incredible” honour.
“I hope there is still something to see from me next year,” he added. “But if that was it, that would have been an incredible ending for me at these Sports Awards.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
