Roger Federer Won’t Play in 2020 After Knee Surgery

Federer would probably have seen few fans in the stands if he had played again this year. The coronavirus pandemic has canceled all play on tour since mid-March, and if competition does resume, it will most likely be without spectators (or with very few of them).

Federer, who will turn 39 in August, has said the reason he has played so many years with evident enthusiasm is his connection to the public, and he is typically a crowd favorite.

He still holds the men’s record for Grand Slam singles titles with 20. But his longtime rivals Nadal and Novak Djokovic have closed the gap. Nadal, 34, has 19 major singles titles. Djokovic, 33, won his 17th at this year’s Australian Open after beating the ailing Federer in a semifinal.

But it is unclear whether Nadal and Djokovic will have the opportunity to add to their totals in 2020. Wimbledon, which was Federer’s initial target for his return, was canceled for the first time since 1945.

For now, the two remaining Grand Slam tournaments in 2020 are the United States Open, which is scheduled from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13, and the French Open, which has been rescheduled for late September and early October with precise dates to be determined.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/sports/tennis/roger-federer-injury.html