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Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will miss the australian open for the first time in his career as he continues to recover from two rounds of knee surgery, organizers said Monday.
The 39-year-old Swiss has been out of action since February, but recently resumed training and was on the entry list for the opening Grand Slam of the year, which will have a delayed start on February 8th.
Federer, a huge favorite among the Melbourne crowd, has not missed the Australian Open since his debut in 2000, winning the trophy six times.
“In the end, Roger ran out of time to prepare for the rigors of a Grand Slam and is very disappointed that he will not be coming to Melbourne in 2021,” said tournament boss Craig Tiley.
“We wish him all the best as he prepares for his comeback at the end of the year and we look forward to seeing him in Melbourne in 2022.”
Federer was out for most of the 2020 season interrupted by Covid after losing to Novak Djokovic in the Melbourne semi-finals in January, his last competitive match.
He underwent a keyhole operation on his right knee in February, before needing a follow-up operation and canceling his season to recover.
The Swiss could only watch as Rafael Nadal equaled his all-time men’s record of 20 individual Grand Slam titles with a 13th victory at the French Open.
Federer will now focus on preparing for the remainder of the 2021 season, which includes the Tokyo Olympics and the possibility of his first individual gold medal.
“He has come a long way in recent months with his knee and his fitness,” his agent Tony Godsick said in a statement.
“I will start discussions next week for the tournaments that start in late February and then start building a schedule for the rest of the year,” added Godsick.
Federer’s absence will be felt at the Australian Open, despite a high-quality field led by world number 1s Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty.
American superstar Serena Williams, a contemporary of Federer at 39, is also on the entry list, as she again tries to match Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Federer’s retirement comes when former world number one Andy Murray, a five-time Australian Open finalist, received a wild card entry.
Tiley welcomed him to the 33-year-old tournament, two years after his first-round exit raised fears his career was coming to an end.
“Seeing him come back, having undergone major surgery and recovering to go back on tour, will be the highlight,” Tiley said.
The Opening Slam of the Year, which will be played in front of at least 50 percent of the normal crowd, was delayed for three weeks until February 8 due to difficulties caused by the coronavirus.
All players must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival, during which they will be constantly screened for Covid-19, but will be allowed to train for five hours a day in a biosecure bubble.
The men’s and women’s qualifiers will take place in Doha and Dubai respectively from January 10-13, with players arriving in Melbourne from January 15 on special charter flights.
Melbourne only emerged from a months-long lockdown in October following a second wave of Covid-19, complicating planning for the Grand Slam and how to allow so many players and support staff to enter the country safely.
Australia has largely contained the coronavirus, although a new outbreak in Sydney has prompted new restrictions in parts of the city and even state border closures.
