In a not-so surprising development ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Swiss Maestro Roger Federer announced his withdrawal from the event due to a knee injury setback he suffered during his short grass-court outing.
Federer, who probably had one of his worst grass court seasons on tour this year, lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in ATP Halle and was thrashed by the youngster Hubert Hurkacz in Wimbledon Championships.
Watch this story: Wimbledon Championships 2021: Roger Federer’s Emotional Farewell
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Against Hurkacz at SW19, the Swiss star didn’t look comfortable from the baseline at all, especially in the third set. He even put a lot of doubts in the minds of his fans after the match by saying that his future at Wimbledon was a big question mark.
As a result of this disappointing outcome at SW19, it’s expected that Federer will go back to Switzerland and prepare for the hard-court season.
Roger Federer decides to skip Tokyo Olympics due to a knee injury
Even though the Swiss star expressed interest to play at the Tokyo Olympics before Wimbledon, a lot has changed in Japan as they implemented stringent rules for international athletes attending the event.
“During the grass-court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics Games. I am greatly disappointed, as it has been an honor and highlight of my career each time I have represented Switzerland”,?wrote the 20-time grand slam champion in a message posted on Twitter.
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— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) July 13, 2021
For long, a gold medal in singles event at Olympics has been a dream for the Swiss star. Even though he won the doubles gold medal, his hopes of winning a singles medal will go in vain on account of his withdrawal from this year’s event.
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