Roger Federer will sit rest of season, OIympics due to knee

ByMATT WILANSKY
July 26, 2016, 2:10 PM

— -- There won't be Olympic gold or any other trophies in Roger Federer's near future.

On Tuesday, the all-time Grand Slam leader announced on Facebook that he needs extensive rehabilitation on his knee and will miss the rest of the season.

"The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover," Federer wrote.

One of the most durable players on tour for most of his career, Federer has played sparingly this season following meniscus surgery to repair a torn tendon in early February. Federer, 34, then withdrew from the French Open with a back injury, the first major he missed since the 1999 US Open.

The Swiss has played only 28 matches this season and has not won a title. He did reach the Wimbledon semifinals earlier this month but was ousted by Milos Raonic in five sets.

"It is tough to miss the rest of the year," Federer wrote. "However, the silver lining is that this experience has made me realize how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries.

Federer's 17 Grand Slam titles are three more than anyone else in history, although he has not triumphed since winning Wimbledon in 2012. Still, the third-ranked player has played remarkable tennis in recent years, particularly last season when he reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals.

Federer was scheduled to play singles and doubles in Rio. At the 2008 Beijing Games, he won gold with partner Stan Wawrinka, and four years later, he reached the gold medal match before falling to Andy Murray.

"The love I have for tennis, the competition, tournaments and of course you, the fans remains intact. I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017."