Roger Federer admits to breaking biggest career promise – ‘I can’t believe it’ | Tennis | Sport
Roger Federer has admitted that he broke one of his biggest career promises ahead of his retirement at this week’s Laver Cup. The 41-year-old will play his final professional match in the doubles on Friday night alongside another member of Team Europe after struggling to return from a troublesome knee injury. And he has now confessed that he never wanted to have surgery after undergoing three for his right knee and another back in 2016.
Federer’s 24-year career will come to an end this week at the Laver Cup. The 41-year-old has barely played in the last two years, undergoing two knee surgeries in 2020 before mounting a short-lived comeback in March last year.
He played just five tournaments before ending his season early to have a third procedure on the same knee but has been unable to recover as hoped and announced his retirement last week, admitting he needed to listen to his body. With just one match left, the Swiss star has now confessed that he broke one of his biggest career goals by undergoing several surgeries.
During his final press conference as an active player on Wednesday, the 20-time Major champion was in disbelief as he looked back on the four procedures he underwent – one in 2016 for a separate, left knee injury and three for the existing right knee problem. “I can’t believe, if I look back at the last few years that I went through, the surgeries that I had to go through,” he said.
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