Roger Federer (Photo : REUTERS)
Retirement may come a lot sooner for Roger Federer after undergoing his first major surgery on his knee. This is what Bleacher Report tennis writer Joe Kennard worries about after learning that the Swiss underwent surgery to fix a torn meniscus.
In his latest feature article on B/R, Kennard talks about Federer's latest setback and how it will affect his short and long-term goals.
After losing to Novak Djokovic in a tough semifinal match at the Australian Open, Federer shocked the tennis world when he announced that he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.
Although the Swiss stressed the surgery was successful, Kennard isn't sure if Federer will be ready enough for the tough grind ahead of him this year.
In fact, he even believes the former world's no.1 could be facing the same scenario he had in 2013, when back problems limited his movement throughout the season and saw him winning just one title.
To make things worse, the Bleacher Report tennis writer has doubts if Federer will continue to be a contender in big tournaments beyond this year, considering that knee injuries are always tough to overcome.
"Not to be too rash-Federer could return in a few weeks without missing a beat-but we've never really seen him deal with an injury of this magnitude before. His prior troubles, like the one in 2013, were limited to his back.
Knee problems (just ask Rafael Nadal) can become chronic and affect athletes differently. When surgery is required, it adds an extra layer of uncertainty."
While Kennard stressed he has utmost confidence in Federer to recover from this setback, he also pointed out that this kind of injury has long-term consequences.
At 34, Federer has three or four years left ahead of him before he hangs his tennis racket for good. Kennard believes father time may come a lot sooner, especially if Federer falters in his comeback.
"Of greater consequence is how this situation impacts Federer's long-term future. At 34, he only has a handful of seasons left before walking off into the sunset. If he struggles to regain strength in his knee or can't move as freely, his ability to remain a top contender will be severely hindered.
As it is, he's already struggling to keep pace with Djokovic (like every other player). Any sort of reduced effectiveness could spur him into retiring sooner."
After reaching two Grand Slam finals last year, Federer is gunning for better results in a year where he expects himself to contend at four major tournaments and at the Olympics, where he's set to play in men's singles, doubles and mixed-doubles.
The injury is indeed a big roadblock to his goals, but it's too early to count out a competitive player like Federer.
