SAN FRANCISCO, December 28, (THEWILL) – Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer absence from the opening Grand Slam of 2021 will be huge after his agent confirmed that the top Grand Slam player was withdrawing from the Australian Open in an interview with the Associated Press on Sunday.
The last involvement of the 39-year-old at the highest level was his semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne Park almost 12 months ago. That is why this news that his quest for a 21st Grand Slam title will be delayed even further raises serious questions about his ability to remain competitive.
But, Tony Godsick, Federer’s agent, said in a statement:
“Roger has decided not to play the 2021 Australian Open. He has made strong progress in the last couple of months with his knee and his fitness. However, after consultation with his team, he decided that the best decision for him in the long run is to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open.
“I will start discussions this coming week for tournaments that begin in late February and then start to build a schedule for the rest of the year.”
The Open Down Under was itself put back three weeks due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for players to observe safety protocols ahead of the games. But, this still was not time enough for the fitness needs of the Swiss tennis legend.
Federer underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and then later had a second procedure which ruled him off the ATP Tour for the remainder of the 2020 season. He had been training in Dubai, which was taken as a preparation for the Australian heat.
Chief Executive Officer of Australian Tennis and Australian Open Director Craig Tiley said Federer “ran out of time” to get fit for the tournament.
“In the end Roger ran out of time to get himself ready for the rigours of a Grand Slam and he’s very disappointed he won’t be coming to Melbourne in 2021.
“The Australian Open has always held a special place in his heart – remember it was Roger who first called the AO the ‘happy slam’.
“We wish him all the best as he prepares for his comeback later in the year and look forward to seeing him in Melbourne in 2022.”
He still intends to play at the All England Club in Wimbledon, the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics and the US Open. However, his absence from Melbourne leaves the door open for Spaniard superstar Rafael Nadal to win a record 21st grand slam title and move one clear of Federer in the Grand Slam haul.
Will he be up for the challenge of younger, hungrier and more energetic players on the tour relishing the challenge to take a bite off of the Federer record? As a veteran in the game, there is a lot he can do with the experience and the level at which he has competed for years.
However, with age no longer on his side and his body beginning to budge under the strain of the excruciating regiment training and preparing for excellence at the very highest levels of tennis demands, which means it will take longer periods of rest and downtime to recover, it is not going to be the same “sweatless Federer” that will be court side whenever he returns. This will obviously make it extra tough to chalk up victories as before.
He will have to put all these in consideration as he makes up his mind for the competitions he intends to feature in and possibly decide to call time on his brilliantly glorious tennis career. He already is talked of as one of the greatest to ever hold a bat and compete in the sport professionally.
Whenever he decides to quit will not erase that recognition but as he misses one competition after another, it might be wiser for it to be sooner than later.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
