Roger Federer reveals he has been in touch with USO organizers, says 'these are uncertain times'

Roger Federer is currently on the sidelines, and will return to the court only in 2021. He has undergone two surgeries in the last six months on his right knee, which has forced him to take the rest of the year off from tennis. But that hasn't stopped him from being in contact with the tournament organizers, and inquiring about how they will be conducted amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Roger Federer first had surgery in February, but then suffered a setback which prompted him to undergo a second laparoscopic procedure. He was lucky with respect to Wimbledon as the tournament was canceled entirely, thus ensuring he didn't lose any ranking points. That is not the case with Roland Garros and the US Open though; these two tournaments are scheduled to take place in August and September, and Federer has confirmed he will miss both.

But Federer still maintains his position on the ATP Player Council, and he is continuing to look into the interests of the tournaments, players and tennis in general. And he has now revealed that he has been communicating with the US Open organizers about the hosting of the hardcourt Slam in a couple of months.

Travelling and quarantine are big problems: Roger Federer

US Open 2020 under a fresh air of uncertainty as per Roger Federer

With coronavirus cases still rising rapidly in the USA, the risk of hosting a Grand Slam there is very high. There are about six weeks left for the tournament to begin in New York City, and the concerns about its feasibility haven't abated.

While the situation in NYC has improved, the same cannot be said for rest of the country. With the lives of players and their families at stake, there is still a lingering doubt regarding the US Open.

Roger Federer spoke about the issue and his involvement in it during an interview with srf.ch.

"I was in touch with the US Open (organisers) just yesterday," Federer said. "They told me they will decide between 15-30 July about what will happen."

Federer also reflected on the challenges facing any big tournament in the current climate, especially in light of what happened at Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour. Many have questioned whether tennis can return in the middle of a pandemic; the organizational issues with any event involving international travel are always going to be high in such times.

"These are uncertain times for tennis," Federer said. "Travelling and quarantine are big problems.”

Roger #Federer: "I was in touch with the US Open (organisers) just yesterday. They told me they will decide between 15-30 July about what will happen. (...) These are uncertain times for tennis. Travelling and quarantine are big problems."

— Svenja Mastroberardi (@svenja_mastro) July 6, 2020

Whatever the final decision is, it will not directly impact Roger Federer as he'll be missing the tournament anyway. And now it has emerged that his ranking points will also be protected courtesy of ATP's new rules, which won't consider the rolling 52-week system this year. But it is clear that the Swiss is thoroughly invested in the tournament, both from a professional and a personal standpoint.

The US Open's decision is more likely to affect the lower-ranked players on tour. If the tournament is postponed or cancelled, the top players would still be able to survive, but the lower-ranked ones would be in trouble.

Of course, for Roger Federer personally there is also the matter of his Grand Slam record. If Rafael Nadal were to win the US Open then he'd be at par with Roger Federer at 20 Slams - and primed to break the record at the subsequent French Open.

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In any case, these are worrying times for the US Open and tennis in general as the tournament date gets closer and closer. The overall situation and rules governing the pandemic aren’t improving, so question marks still remain over the New York Slam.