Roger Federer could miss the Australian Open for the second year in a row but that does not mean he is going to retire, according to his coach Ivan Ljubicic.
The Swiss great has undergone three rounds of knee surgery and last played a match in Wimbledon in July, where he lost in the quarterfinals.
Federer turned 40 in August and has played only 13 matches in 2021.
“Roger Federer is very unlikely to play the Australian Open. He is 40 and doesn’t recover as fast as before. But he wants to compete again and won’t retire all of a sudden,” Ljubicic told Sky Sports.
The Croat, who has worked with Federer since 2015, said that Federer would return in 2022, but the date is unknown as he currently undergoing rehabilitation.
“We have spoken and I can guarantee he wants to return to playing tennis,” said Ljubicic. "When he decides to stop, he will retire, but I don't think it's going to happen all of a sudden.”
Federer’s unavailability will come as a blow to organisers of the tournament, though the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s participation at the year’s first Slam was always uncertain.
The organisers will be hoping that at least the other veteran superstars—Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal—can make it to the event, which will raise interest and attract more viewers and crowds.
Nadal, also coming off an injury, had said last week that he is trying his best to get fit in time to travel Down Under. He indicated that he would play at an exhibition event in UAE next month, which would be his first game in several months.
Djokovic, on the other hand, is yet to publicly reveal his vaccination status, which could potentially rule him out of competing in Australia, where a battle rages on between political leaders on whether unvaccinated foreign athletes should be allowed to participate in the country.
While the three players all have 20 Slams each, Djokovic has been the most successful in Australia with nine titles in nine finals. Federer has six in the seven finals he has played. Nadal has won only one of the six finals he has reached.
The 2022 edition begins on January 17.
