Roger Federer injured again in the knee: The maestro is threatened with an ugly farewell through the back door

The past few weeks have been anything but ideal for Roger Federer. The Swiss man’s appearance at Wimbledon, which was celebrated by many tennis fans, came to an abrupt end in the quarter-finals.

Even if he announced in a statement that he was already working on his return to the ATP tour, the question arises: Will Federer come back in full strength or is the maestro leaving the big stage slowly and ugly through the back door?

Federer’s dream of the ninth Wimbledon title is bursting

Federer will be 40 years old on August 8th. In recent years, the Swiss had to fight injuries and physical problems more and more often. The veteran almost completely missed the previous season. After the Australian Open, Federer had to undergo his first knee operation in February. Then came the corona pandemic and another operation in the summer.

The 39-year-old then decided to give himself enough time and did without the rest of the season. The hopes of many Federer fans for a successful comeback were high. In March the time had finally come. The Swiss returned to the tennis stage at the Qatar Open. A few months later, he finally made a comeback at the French Open and thus Federer’s first Grand Slam tournament in almost a year and a half.

The voluntary exit from the classic clay court after the third round caused some experts to frown shortly afterwards. However, the 20-time Grand Slam winner justified his decision by giving his body the necessary rest to be fully fit for the lawn season.

But this plan didn’t work either. An early end at his favorite tournament in Halle was followed by the three-set defeat at Wimbledon against Hurkacz. Above all, it became clear that Federer is simply not fit at the moment. The cancellation for the Olympics is only the logical consequence.

Federer will probably stay at the Olympics without a single gold

The Swiss wrote on Twitter: “Unfortunately I suffered a setback with my knee during the lawn season and accept that I cannot compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.” And further: “I have already started the rehab and hope to be able to return to the tour later in the summer.”

Participation in Tokyo would have been his fifth overall at the Olympic Games. In Sydney in 2000, Federer just missed the bronze medal in the small final. In 2008 in Beijing he won double gold alongside Stan Wawrinka, followed by silver in singles in London four years later. But as early as 2016 in Rio, a knee injury put a spanner in the works for the Swiss.

So now the next rejection, which probably also means that Federer will end his career in the coming years without a single gold. As things stand today, participation in Paris in three years’ time is out of the question. Even now, the Swiss only plays selected tournaments in order to protect his body.

How long can Federer go on?

Boris Becker said opposite Eurosport even: “I am not at all sure whether we will see Roger Federer again at Wimbledon. If that were a 25-year-old now, he would have to collect match practice and play tournaments, you won’t get any better from not playing.”

But at almost 40 years of age, the record Grand Slam winner can no longer use this strategy. Becker continued: “Federer has never lost a set 6-0 at Wimbledon and of course questions have to be asked: Why? Is he still good enough? Is he still fit enough?”

Even the 39-year-old himself could not answer whether the Wimbledon tournament that recently ended was his last. “I don’t know, I really don’t know. Of course I would like to play it again, but at my age you never know what’s coming,” said Federer simply.

The next highlight is just a few weeks after the Olympics. The US Open will be played in New York on August 30th. Will the Swiss be fit again by then? There are some question marks.