Roger Federer, 39, has not played a competitive match since losing the semi-final of the Australian Open to Novak Djokovic in January.
Now the Swiss, who has 20 Grand Slam titles on his merit list, looks to be able to miss the first Grand Slam of 2021.
This is because the recovery from his two knee surgeries earlier this year is taking longer than he expected.
- I had hoped that I would be 100% in October.
But I still am not.
It will be tight with the Australian Open, he said in connection with a ceremony in Switzerland, where he was chosen as the country's best athlete after 1950.
- We will see how it goes in the next two months.
I have been exercising a lot in recent months, so now I will see how it goes with tennis.
"A fight against the clock"
The Australian Open is currently scheduled between 18 and 31 January, but there are reports that the tournament will be postponed for three weeks due to the corona pandemic.
But even with a postponement, it can be difficult for Federer to get ready.
- It is a battle against the clock when it comes to the Australian Open.
I do not know if it will start on February 8 or not.
Of course, it would have helped if I had had more time, he says.