Tennis star, Roger Federer will not feature in the upcoming Australian Open in 2021 due to an ankle injury, his agent Tony Godsick has said.
The 39-year-old Swiss who lost in the semifinals of the 2020 Australian Open at the beginning of the year to Novak Djokovic has not played tennis since the match.
The six-time Australian Open winner who is nursing his way back to form will not travel to Melbourne for the 2021 edition of the tournament scheduled for February.
“Roger has decided not to play the 2021 Australian Open. He has made strong progress in the last couple of months with his knee and his fitness,” Godsick told The Associated Press.
“However, after consultation with his team, he decided that the best decision for him, in the long run, is to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open.
“I will start discussions this coming week for tournaments that begin in late February and then start to build a schedule for the rest of the year.”
Earlier this year, Federer had expressed hope to be back in form and ready for the tournament in Melbourne.
“I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 per cent ready to play at my highest level,” he said in a statement on Twitter.
“I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season.”
