“They Deserve Better”: Roger Federer Makes Honest Admission About Not Retiring From Tennis

20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has confirmed he will miss the 2022 Australian Open. Undergoing rehabilitation after his most recent knee surgery, Federer is unlikely to recover before the start of next year’s Australian Open.

According to his doctors, Federer will be able to resume training around March or April next year. In fact, the Swiss Maestro claimed he will be “extremely surprised” if he ends up competing at the next year’s Wimbledon Championships. He holds the record with eight wins at the Grand Slam.

Want to do it for the fans: Roger Federer

Recently, in an interview, the former World No.1 mentioned it would have been easy to draw an end to his career after going to multiple knee surgeries over the last eighteen months.

However, as he revealed, his motivation behind making a comeback is to express his utmost gratitude to his fans for their unwavering support.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Roger Federer of Switzerland looks dejected as he leaves centre court after losing to Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the quarter finals of the gentlemen’s singles during Day Nine of The Championships – Wimbledon 2021 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 07, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by TPN/Getty Images)

“It would have been easy to say, ‘let’s stop here’. But they deserve better than what they’ve seen from me throughout the past grass-court season,” said Federer.

Over the last twenty years, Federer has been one of the most loved athletes globally. The crowd is always behind him, chanting ‘ROGERRR… ROGERRR’ from the stands, regardless of where he’s playing.

Therefore, Federer’s return, whenever it happens, will essentially be a tribute to his fans, who can’t imagine tennis without his flawless shot-making and elegant playing style.

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 5, 2021 Switzerland’s Roger Federer celebrates winning his fourth round match against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego REUTERS/Paul Childs

The 40-year-old returned to action at the Qatar Open in March after spending almost the entire 2020 season recovering from two back-to-back knee operations.

Overall, Federer played just 13 matches this season, with his last match being the quarterfinal loss to Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, his absence from the 2022 Australian Open will be a massive blow for the tournament officials. Federer has successively played 21 times at the Australian Open from 2000 to 2020 and boasts a 102-15 win-loss record at the event.

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