Another blow for Roger Federer.
The Swiss announced this Sunday evening, on his Instagram account, that he would again have to undergo a right knee operation.
He will therefore miss the US Open (August 30 - September 12) and "several months" of competition.
“It hasn't been easy since Wimbledon, I took a lot of exams,” he explained.
To feel better, I need to have an operation.
It will be tough, sure, but I know it's the right thing to do because I want to get back in shape.
I want to give myself some hope of coming back to the circuit in good shape.
I am a realist, I know it will be difficult at my age.
But I want to be healthy.
"
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This is his third knee surgery in a year and a half for the man with 20 Grand Slam titles.
The former world No. 1 played only 13 games in 2021, after a 2020 season disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and marked by two knee operations, during which he only played six times.
He turned 40 on August 8
After retiring before the round of 16 at Roland Garros in order to prepare for Wimbledon, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals of his favorite tournament by the Polish Hubert Hurkacz.
The one who just celebrated his 40th birthday on August 8 had since withdrawn from the Masters 1000 in Toronto and Cincinnati.
“It was different before.
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?
», Confided this week the Swiss champion to the newspaper Blick.
“Before, if my back was blocked, it lasted two days and everything was fine.
Today it may take two weeks.
It is about being more patient with the pain, with oneself, with the return to the field, ”he continued.
One of the biggest challenges of his career now looms: to return to the highest level despite age and physical problems.