For the first time in his career, after 21 consecutive editions, Roger Federer (39 years old) will not step on the premises of the Australian Open, in Melbourne.

The Swiss, despite being initially registered to play the first big of the year, which starts on February 8, will continue with the recovery of his knee, after having resumed training not long ago.

"Roger has decided not to play the Australian Open. He has made progress in the last two months with both his knee and his physique. However, after discussing it with his team, he has decided that it would be best to come back after the Australian Open. "he explained in a statement sent to the Associated Press.

"Finally, Roger did not have time to prepare for the conditions of a Grand Slam and is very disappointed that he will not be able to come to Melbourne in 2021," said tournament president

Craig Tiley

.

Federer, 39, a champion of 20 Grand Slam tournaments, underwent an operation on his right knee in early June this year due to the setback suffered in his recovery process.

The last official match played by the veteran Basel player was precisely in the semifinals of last edition at Melbourne Park against Serbian

Novak Djokovic

.

Physical problems even led the tennis player to consider ending his career.

"The time of retirement is approaching and I know I will miss the circuit. It would have been easy to retire now, but I want to give myself a chance to continue enjoying tennis," he told the German press in Switzerland last July, shortly after undergoing the a second arthroscopy in his right knee in four months, forcing him to interrupt his season.

Federer will thus break a streak of 21 consecutive editions by contesting the first 'major' of the season after his debut with victory in the final draw against American

Michael Chang

in 2000.

In mid-December, he acknowledged that he was not sure if he would be able to participate in the Australian Open.

"It is a race against the clock. It is clear that it would help if I had a little more time," the Swiss had explained at an awards ceremony in his country.

It will be the second time he has been absent from a major due to injury, after missing the 2016 United States Open due to problems in his left knee.

Melbourne bubble

The Australian Open was originally going to start on January 18, but tennis organizers and governing bodies had to delay the tournament dates (February 8) at the request of the Australian authorities to establish unprecedented sanitary measures and thus avoid the spread of Covid-19.

Players will have to arrive in Australia from January 15 to hold a two-week quarantine in a "health bubble" installed around Melbourne Park, the venue for the tournament.

Participants will also have to stay in the hotels that will be reserved for them and may not be out of the hotels for more than five hours per day for their trainings.

The qualifying rounds for this first grand slam of the year will take place in Doha for the men and in Dubai for the women from January 10-13.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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