London: Former World No.1 and eight-time Wimbledon champions Roger Federer will not play in the Tokyo Olympics. Roger Federer has said that he has suffered a ‘setback’ in his recovery from a knee injury and so he has been forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics. The 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer, could not go past the quarterfinal stage in the 2021 Wimbledon after he was knocked by Hubert Hurkacz. In fact, Federer lost the third and final set of the match by a bagel (not winning a single game).
Federer had withdrawn after winning his third round match at the French Open. He had then said that his knee would not be able to take the hard grind on the clay surface and he would rather concentrate on Wimbledon. However, his Wimbledon campaign also came short against Hurkacz.
“During the grass-court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Federer said in a statement on social media. “I have already begun rehabilitation in the hopes of returning to the tour later this summer,” he added.
It is a fact that age is slowly catching up with Federer. At 40, he is finding it difficult to take the grind of professional tennis on a daily basis.
