"Glimmer of hope": World reacts to Federer's sad news
Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer has posted a new video to his Instagram account giving his legions of fans an update as to his health status.
“I will be on crutches for many weeks and out of the game for many months,” the 20-time Grand Slam title winner said.
But in even sadder news, many sports commentators are now asking whether we’ll ever see Federer playing competitively again – given that the Swiss star is now 40 and the knee surgery will take him out of the sport for “many months.”
Federer's decision immediately rules him out of the US Open, where he has been champion five times and which starts in two weeks.
"I've been doing a lot of checks with the doctors on my knee... I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and it's just not the way to go forward," Federer added.
“They told me ... to feel better I’ll need surgery. I decided to do it.
“I want to give myself a glimmer of hope to return to the tour in some shape or form.
“I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at my age to go through another surgery. I will try it. I want to be healthy, I want to be running around.”
Federer, who has played just 13 matches in 2021, underwent two knee surgeries in 2020. He had already pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics to rest his knee.
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