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Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts during his Men’s Singles first round match against Steve Johnson of the United States on day one of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
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Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts during his Men’s Singles first round match against Steve Johnson of the United States on day one of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
Roger Federer couldn’t play much tennis in 2021 because of the recurring problems with his knee. Unfortunately, the Swiss maestro announced that he would need to undergo a third surgery on his right knee after his Wimbledon quarterfinals loss. Since then, his return to the ATP Tour has been under dark clouds despite his passion for the sport. Now, his coach Ivan Ljubicic has announced some heartbreaking news ahead of the Australian Open 2022.
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Although Federer is not looking forward to retiring anytime soon, he hasn’t been able to get fit to compete on the ATP Tour. Accordingly, his chances to recover in time and play in Melbourne Park next year are slim to none. However, the coach remained optimistic about a comeback in 2022.
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Coach gives an update on Roger Federer’s injury ahead of Australian Open 2022
Primarily, the Croatian coach highlighted that Federer is now 40 years old and doesn’t recover quickly. Hence, he might miss the second consecutive Australian Open next year.
“Roger Federer is very unlikely to play the Australian Open. He is 40 and doesn’t recover as fast as before. But he wants to compete again and won’t retire all of a sudden,” Ljubicic said.
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Roger Federer of Switzerland looks on during his Men’s Singles Semifinal match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day eleven of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Indeed, the last sentence is carrying the weight of thousands of Federer fans’ hopes. However, the absence of Federer in Melbourne Park will once again lay heavy in the tennis world.
Earlier, Simona Halep‘s ex-coach Darren Cahill predicted the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s return in Australia. So, there might be a slight ray of light for Federer to make it to Melbourne Park. Although it all depends on how fast he recovers from the surgery.
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Most significantly, the Swiss maestro has undergone three surgeries on his right knee, which puts his speed of recovery in doubt. Fans hope to see his ‘one last dance’ before ending his magnificent career.
The 2021 season for Roger Federer
Notably, Federer did not play much this year but performed exceptionally well in French Open and Wimbledon. Overall, he registered a 9-4 win-loss record before ending his 2021 season.
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Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 7, 2021 Switzerland’s Roger Federer walks across the players bridge Pool via REUTERS/Ben Solomon
Before, the 103 ATP titles owner had come back from a severe knee injury and won the Australian Open 2017. Thus, the tennis world remains hopeful of witnessing history repeat itself.
Although the coach’s news is close to sure, there are still two months left for players to go Down Under. Only time will tell whether fans will see Federer in Australia in January or not.
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