In an interview to the YouTube ATP Channel recalled when he decided to take a six-month break in 2016 and then made a stunning return in 2017 winning Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Halle, Wimbledon and Shanghai.
Federer said: It all started well playing the semis at the (2016) Australian Open losing to Novak. And hurting my knee, not saying it was a big deal but coming back to Switzerland and realizing on the MRI there was a broken meniscus.
Understanding that I really had to have my first surgery as a tennis player I could not believe it. Its actually quite emotional, especially after the surgery, looking down at my foot and understanding that maybe this leg or this knee will never be the same.
I started working basically that next day after I came back from the hospital. Some reason my knee was not still at 100% throughout the clay-court season, after that I also got back issues and I had the knee and the back so thats when I decided to pull out the French Open because I just realized there is just no way I can even win a match there, and I was able to get my back in check, my knee was still playing up real funny in Stuttgart, Halle and Wimbledon.
My body and my knee deserved a break and everybody agreed with me and thats when I decided to take some time off. Give me all the time as well I needed on the practice court to work on my game again and so when I did come back in 2017 I came back so strong, I couldnt believe in myself because I actually thought it was going to take me at least almost a half a season to get into the swing of things but this fairytale ended very nicely by winning the Australian Open in my comeback in a finals against Rafa where I was down 3-1 in the fifth.
And then the rest we know, I go on and turn around and I win it. So it was maybe one of the most special moments in my entire tennis career. ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal: Worse players than David Ferrer won a Grand Slam title
0 thoughts on “Roger Federer: 'I could not believe that I had to undergo surgery in 2016'”