Roger Federer said his recovery from his most recent surgery is going well but that he isn’t going to hurry his return to the tennis court.
Federer, 40, had two knee surgeries in 2020 and made a comeback earlier this year but sustained another injury and underwent additional surgery.
“It was a tough process to take that decision, just because I already had couple of knee surgeries last year,” Federer said Saturday in an interview while attending the Laver Cup in Boston on Saturday. “I was really unhappy with how things went at Wimbledon. I was just nowhere near where I wanted to be to play at the top, top level. But I tried my best, and at the end, at some point, too much is too much. Now I’ve just got to take it step by step.”
A 20-time Grand Slam champion — tied with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for the most ever by a man — Federer has been walking on crutches at the tournament, of which he is a co-creator.
“I’ve got to first walk again properly, run properly and then do the sidesteps and all the agility work, and then eventually I’ve got to be back on the tennis court,” the Swiss great said. “But it’s going to take me a few more months, and then we’ll see how things are at some point next year. I’ve got to take my time. I don’t want to rush into anything at this point.
“This is also for my life. I want to make sure I can do everything I want to do later on. There’s no rush with anything, so I’m actually in a really good place. I think the worst is behind me. I’m really happy.”
Federer advanced to the Round of 16 earlier this year at Halle, Geneva and the French Open. He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, where Hubert Hurkacz of Poland defeated him 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0.
He has won a record eight Wimbledon championships. Despite his limited playing schedule, Federer remains ranked No. 9 in the world.
–Field Level Media