Tennis star Roger Federer has undergone another knee surgery, his third, and will be sidelined for months. Federer got an operation done on his right knee and is set to miss the US Open. He said that the procedure will leave him with a ‘glimmer of hope’ that he can return to competition.
Federer took to Instagram to make the announcement.
“I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors, as well, on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon,” Federer said in a video message on Sunday.
He said that the doctors told him that he would need surgery for the medium and long-term. “Unfortunately they told me for the medium- to long-term, to feel better, I will need surgery, so I decided to do it,” he said.
He will be on crutches for several weeks after the surgery and till hence be out of the game.
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The 40-year-old Federer, who has 20 Grand Slam singles titles to share the men’s record with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, acknowledged there was a chance his playing career could be over, but he said he would rehab the knee with the goal of making another comeback.
“I want to be healthy. I want to be running around later, as well, again, and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope, also, to return to the tour in some shape or form,” Federer said. “I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it.”
Federer missed more than a year of action after first having his knee repaired shortly after the 2020 Australian Open in February of that year. He had a follow-up procedure that June.
