Swiss maestro Roger Federer holds the record for the maximum number of Grand Slam wins by a male player (20) in the history of tennis. (Getty Images)
Roger Federer announced on Thursday that he would be out of action for three months, following an arthroscopic surgery.
This would see the record-20 Grand Slam holder miss out on a series of tournaments this season, which also includes the French Open.
Ranked third in the world, Federer said that the surgery had taken place on Wednesday and made it public via social media.
Federer will now miss the upcoming tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami, plus the French Open.
He also said that he would be unable to participate in the rescheduled exhibition match to be held on March 24 in Bogotá, Colombia, against Alexander Zverev.
The match which was originally scheduled for November last year was cancelled at the last moment due to large-scale demonstrations and curfew in Bogota.
However, the Swiss maestro had ended his Twitter post with a hint of positivity – a big relief for his worldwide fans.
“I can’t wait to be back playing again soon, see you on the grass!” the tweet ended. This could mean that Federer is no danger of missing his favourite tournament Wimbledon in June and July and the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in July-August respectively.
However, it remains to be seen how quickly Federer, who turns 39 this August can recover and return to play at the highest level.
Most outlets claim that arthroscopic knee surgery takes six to eight weeks to heal. That means Federer should be back in training by the end of May.
Of course, athletes need time to get back to their best and this is not Federer’s first surgery.
In fact, it is his second having done one earlier back in 2016. He had undergone surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. This happened as he made a sudden movement while giving his daughters a bath.
The last time such an incident happened it took Federer some time to recover. He also failed to find his rhythm and form despite making a comeback in April.
In a bid to return to full fitness the Swiss took the year off by cutting short his season midway.
However, the rest seemed to have helped him as he roared back into the court after almost six months to play one of the finest tennis in his career.
His return saw him go on to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017 and the Australian Open once again in 2018.
Given the fact he is not getting any younger, Federer might take an extended break to prolong his career.
Follow our dedicated tennis page for instant news and updates
