Roger Federer Will Miss Australian Open, Doesn't Expect to Play in Wimbledon

Roger Federer revealed that he will not play in next year's Australian Open and that he would be "incredibly surprised to play Wimbledon" as well.

Federer spoke exclusively with Mathieu Aeschmann of La Tribune de Geneve (h/t Christopher Clarey of the New York Times) on the matter.

The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion just had his fourth knee operation, getting surgery on the meniscus and articular cartilage in his right knee, per Clarey. He isn't allowed to resume full running until January and full tennis training until March or April.

"We can sum up my ambitions this way: I want to find out one more time what I'm capable of as a professional tennis player," Federer told Aeschmann.

"I am fighting for that, and I'm very motivated. I feel the support of my team and my family. We'd all like for me to be able to say farewell on my terms and on a tennis court."

The 40-year-old Federer made his professional debut in 1998. He has won eight Wimbledons, six Australian Opens, five U.S. Opens and one French Open, putting him in a three-way tie with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for the most men's singles Grand Slam titles with 20.

Federer is one of the greatest tennis players in the sport's history, notably winning 14 majors from 2004-2009 and finishing as a Grand Slam singles runner-up on six occasions.

However, like any other elite athlete, age and injuries have caught up to the superstar, and he just struggled through a tough 2021 season that saw him finish with his worst winning percentage (69 percent for a 9-4 record) since 2000.

Federer revealed in the interview that he may be out until 2023, but he is determined to leave the game on a high note.

"The simplest thing would almost be to say: 'That's it. I gave a lot, received a lot, let's stop it all,'" Federer said.

"But to give everything to come back one more time is also my way of thanking the fans. They deserve better than the image I left during the grass-court season this year."

Regarding whether or not he returns in 2022 or 2023, Federer had this to say.

"If you push the reasoning further, it doesn't make much difference whether I return in 2022 or not until 2023. At 40 or 41, it's the same. The question is whether I can keep pushing myself hard day after day. Today, my heart says yes. So I'm going step by step. It's another challenge like I've faced many times in my career, sometimes without the public realizing it. And even if I know very well that the end is near, I want to try to play some more big matches. It won't be easy but we're going to try."

Federer's career accolades also include 310 total weeks as the ATP's No. 1 player, a record that held until Novak Djokovic broke it this year. He also won a gold medal in doubles competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.