Roger Federer undergoes knee surgery, to be out of action until grass season

What's the story?

Roger Federer confirmed that he underwent arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland on 19 February 2020. The Swiss ace also stated that he will be out of action till the grass season and will miss the entire clay-court season, including the 2020 French Open.

The background

The twenty-time Grand Slam Champion was last seen in action on February 7 when he locked horns with his arch-rival Rafael Nadal, in a three-set exhibition match. The match in Cape Town, South Africa saw a record attendance of over fifty thousand and Federer won it 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

The 34-year-old was scheduled to play in Dubai next week and later travel to California to play at the Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 tournament of the year.

Back in 2016, the Swiss legend needed surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He had also missed the entire claycourt season in 2017 and 2018.

The heart of the matter

Federer took to Twitter to confirm that he has undergone a knee surgery and will miss the aforementioned events as well as the Columbia Open, the Miami Open, and will be out of action through the entire clay season. He is also set to miss the coveted 2020 French Open.

pic.twitter.com/VVGI1o8XYZ

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) February 20, 2020

In the statement on his Twitter account, Federer said:

"My right knee has been bothering me for a little while. I hoped it would go away, but after an examination, and discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland yesterday. After the procedure, the doctors confirmed that it was the right thing to have done and are very confident of a full recovery."

He further added, "I am grateful for everyone's support. I can't wait to be playing back again soon, see you on the grass."

What's next?

While Federer's fans would want him to play on forever, the injury certainly pops questions about the 38-year-old Swiss legend. While Federer will miss a massive part of this season, fans will expect him to come back with a bang at Wimbledon.