Roger Federer 'unsure' about his participation in US Open due to knee injury

He withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics over his fitness issues and will also not be a part of the ATP Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters.

Roger Federer in a file photo. (Image Credit: Twitter)
By Nilavro Ghosh | Aug 14, 2021 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Roger Federer is arguably one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport. But it cannot be forgotten he is also a player in the twilight of his career. Therefore, fitness has become quite a major issue for the Swiss superstar. The 40-year-old has only participated in 13 matches so far this year. He withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics over his fitness issues and will also not be a part of the month’s ATP Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters. Federer is also still unsure about his participation in the US Open that is scheduled to be held at the end of August. He said that he would need to meet his doctors and physios this week and decide on the future course of action thereafter. It would be a massive loss for the American Grand Slam if a player like Federer is not involved.

“This week, I have to meet my doctors and my team and then we will see what happens next,” Federer said to news agency AFP. “For now, everything is still a bit uncertain. It was different before (the injury). The questions were simple. What is my place in the ranking? What are my goals? It’s really completely different from ten years ago,” the former world number 1 added.

Federer is one of the three greatest tennis players of the current generation alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. All three are tied with 20 Grand Slam title victories each. This is one particular statistic that makes the upcoming US Open so crucial. If either one of the three manages to win that crown, he will become the best of the three for the time being on paper. Missing Federer would certainly take a lot of shine off the tournament.

Roger Federer optimisic of comeback eventually

The Swiss, however, still remains optimistic over his comeback to the sport. He said that he has been on holiday and put no pressure on his injured knee. However, he also admitted that he is still getting used to the fact that he is 40. That means niggles take two weeks, and not two days to heal. “I am much more enthusiastic than before, the attitude is different. It’s really completely different from 10 years ago,” he said.

The last time Federer was on court was in June at Wimbledon. He set a new record in the competition when he became the oldest man to ever reach the quarter-finals. He could not go any further in the tournament, however, as he was defeated by Hubert Hurkacz. Since then, he has not played a single game of competitive tennis. Therefore, his match fitness will be a big issue as well.

However, if the Swiss manages to deal with his physical and fitness issues, he might just make it to the US Open. That would give every single player of the big three a chance to win one more Grand Slam than the other two. At his age, a player like Federer might not have his mind on such records, but it would still be something incredible to play for.





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