Roger Federer withdraws from Australian Open, working on a record for 2021

Roger Federer is pulling out of the Australian Open but still plans to play in 2021 once he recovers from two surgeries on his right knee in 2020.

“Roger has decided not to play the 2021 Australian Open,” his agent Tony Godsick and CEO of their management company, TEAM8, told The Associated Press by email. “He has come a long way in the last few months with his knee and so healthy. However, after consulting with his team, he decided that the best long-term decision for him was to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open.

“I will start talks this coming week for competitions that will start at the end of February and then start building a record for the rest of the year,” said Godsick.

Federer, 39, has won six of his 20 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, most recently in 2018, the site of his last Grand Slam victory. He is currently in Dubai, the AP reported.

The Australian Open has been pushed back from the start of January 17 due to COVID-19 concerns.

Federer has not played an ATP event since losing to Novak Djokovic in this year’s Australian Open semifinals in January. He finally played when he defeated Rafael Nadal in a charity match in South Africa in February.

He then underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery in February and had a follow-up procedure in June. At the time, he announced that he would not play against him until 2021.

“I would have hoped to be at 100 per cent by October,” Federer said earlier this month at an awards ceremony in Switzerland, according to Swiss media. “But I still haven’t. It will be tight for the Australian Open.

“It’s a race against time. Of course, it would help if I had a little more time. But it’s going to be close.”

Federer, 39, even raised concerns about his future by saying, “I hope there is still something to see in the new year. We’ll see. “

Earlier this year, Federer took the top spot on the annual Forbes list of highest paid athletes with $ 106.3 million in pre-tax earnings. The Swiss ace became the first tennis player to achieve No. 1 status since being disbanded in 1990.

While Federer sat out most of 2020, Nadal, 34, tied him at the top of the full-time majors list by winning his 13th French Open and 20th major at the French Open. in October.

Djokovic, 33, has 17 Grand Slam titles, and former world champion Andy Roddick and Jim Courier have been described as their all-time leading line-up in the men’s leaderboard. Slams.

Federer still has big goals, including playing in the Tokyo Olympics in July, where he is aiming for his first singles gold medal.

“I wish I could make more progress, but I’m still content with where I am,” he said earlier this month.

“My second knee surgery was very difficult, but in recent months, things have progressed steadily.

“We’re taking our time, but the next two, three months will be very important to me. “