Roger Federer Says Return Date Is 'Uncertain' Just Weeks Away From US Open


The US Open is at the end of August, but the tennis star has not said if he'll play after pulling out of this month’s Toronto Masters and Western & Southern Open.

Roger Federer is still unsure of when he will return to the court. 

So far, the 40-year-old has only played 13 matches this year as he continues to recover from a pair of knee surgeries. Federer most recently withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics as well as this month's Toronto Masters and Western & Southern Open to rest his knee. 

The US Open starts Aug. 30, but Federer has not said whether he will or will not compete.

"I'm fine. I was on holiday. I haven't done anything for a while because of my knee. I had to stop everything after Wimbledon," he told the AFP. "This week, I have to meet my doctors and my team, and then we will see what happens next. For now, everything is still a bit uncertain."

He continued, saying dealing with the uncertainty is different than before. 

"The questions were simple: what is my place in the ranking? What will my next tournament be?" he said. "Today, it's more difficult: how do I feel when I start training again? What are my goals? How to reconcile all this with the family? What does the rest of the team say?

"I am much more enthusiastic than before, the attitude is different. It's really completely different from 10 years ago."

Federer shares the Grand Slam record of 20 titles with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who are both not competing in the Cincinnati Masters. The tournament announced Nadal is still dealing with an ongoing left foot injury while Djokovic said he needed time to recover after the grueling stretch he's had from the Australian Open to Tokyo. 

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