Geneva (AFP)

Roger Federer, who withdrew from the Tokyo Olympic tournament due to a knee injury, does not yet know when he will return to the courts.

The Swiss, who just celebrated his 40th birthday on August 8, spoke in an interview published Friday by the newspaper Blick about his feelings after the passage of this key date and his knee problems.

Asked about his physical condition, Federer said he was "fine".

"I was on vacation. I haven't done anything for a while because of my knee. I had to stop everything after Wimbledon," he explains.

"This week, I have to meet my doctors and my team, then we will see what happens next. For now, everything is still a little uncertain," he adds.

The former world No.1 only played 13 matches in 2021, after a 2020 season disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and marked by two knee operations, during which he only played six times.

After retiring before the round of 16 at Roland Garros in order to prepare for Wimbledon, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals of his favorite tournament by the Polish Hubert Hurkacz.

Switzerland's Roger Federer greets the spectators after his defeat to the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, in the quarter-final of the Wimbledon tournament, July 7, 2021 in London AELTC / Edward Whitaker POOL / AFP / Archives

Since then, the signals have not prompted optimism: he has given up on the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and forfeited the Masters 1000 in Toronto and Cincinnati, raising doubts about his participation in the US Open which begins on August 30.

“It was different before. The questions were simple: where do I stand in the standings? What will my next tournament be? Today is more difficult: how do I feel when I start training again? goals? How to reconcile all this with the family? What does the rest of the team say? ", entrusts the Swiss champion to the newspaper Blick.

“Before, if my back was blocked, it lasted two days and everything was fine. Today, it can take two weeks. It's about being more patient with the pain, with yourself. , with the return to the field, "he continues.

He also looks back on his 40 years, which he spent with family and friends.

"I just turned forty and I'm still active. Who would have believed that? Surely not me. I'm totally in tune with myself and I'm sure there are still a lot of great things to come." , he assures.

© 2021 AFP