ROGER Federer will miss the upcoming US Open and be sidelined for many months because he needs more knee surgery, an operation that the Swiss great said will give him a “glimmer of hope” that he can resume his glittering career.
The 40-year-old Federer, speaking on a video posted to his Instagram account, said doctors told him that to feel better for the medium-to long-term, he would need surgery on the knee that he injured again during the grass court season.
“I’ll be on crutches for many weeks and then also out of the game for many months,” Federer said.
“It’s going to be difficult of course in some ways but at the same time I know it’s the right thing to do because I want to be healthy, and I want to be running around later as well.”
Federer, who shares the men’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, had knee surgery twice in 2020 which resulted in more than a year of rehabilitation before a return to action in March, some 13 months after his Australian Open semifinal exit last year.
He withdrew from the French Open in June after winning his third-round match to save himself for the grass court season and a bid to win a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title.
