Roger Federer is officially out of the 2022 Australian Open.
Speculation around the 40-year-old's future in the game has continued to mount as he makes a slow recovery from another bout of knee surgery, with his long-time coach Ivan Ljubicic saying this week that it was “very unlikely” he’d be at Melbourne Park in January.
In Swiss publication La Matin, Federer moved to clarify his immediate future, even casting doubt on whether he’ll be fit for Wimbledon next year.
“I would be incredibly surprised if I were to play again already at Wimbledon (in 2022),” Federer said.
“Australia is not an option at all. But that’s no surprise for me. Even before the operation, we knew that a break of many months would be necessary afterwards.
“I wanted to wait for the first major check-up before making a public statement, and the check-up was very encouraging.
“I have started a long rehabilitation process in which I put all my heart and soul. But the situation is not the same as in 2016. I have to be patient.”
Federer, who is now ranked 16th in the world, hasn’t played on the tour since losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in July.