Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – December 28, 2020 – Sport
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer has refused to participate in the Australian Open, which was postponed to February due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 39-year-old Swiss will miss the tournament for the first time since 2000. He won it six times.
During the previous Australian Open, Federer played his last match – after three sets, he lost to the Serb Novak Djokovic, who eventually won the tournament.
Later, Federer underwent surgery on his right knee and no longer played in the 2020 season.
The Swiss told the organizers of the Australian Open that postponing the start of the tournament to February 8 will increase his chances of participation, but on December 27, the player’s agent said in a statement that Federer decided not to play.
According to Tony Godsick, Federer has made great progress towards his recovery in the last few months, but after consulting with the team, he decided to return to tennis after the Australian Open. Godsick suggests that the Swiss will be able to participate in tournaments in late February.
Since the beginning of his professional career in 1998, Federer has won a record 20 Grand Slam tournaments.
The Australian Open is being played in Melbourne, Victoria, where a hard lockdown was introduced in July to fight coronavirus infection. Strict travel restrictions continue to apply in Australia.
