In an Instagram video on Sunday, Roger Federer announced that he has suffered another injury setback and will undergo his third knee surgery in 18 months. Federer said that he opted for another operation that will put him “on crutches for many weeks and then also out of the game for many months.”

Said Federer: “I want to be healthy. I want to be running around later, as well, again, and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope, also, to return to the tour in some shape or form. I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it.” Federer turned 40 last week; he had his first knee surgery after the 2020 Australian Open and his second in June of that year before returning this past May at the French Open. After losing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals over the summer, the Swiss star dropped out of the Tokyo Olympics due to knee injury.

In the video, Federer said that playing on grass likely led to his pending operation, adding: “I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors, as well, on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon. Unfortunately they told me for the medium- to long-term, to feel better, I will need surgery, so I decided to do it.”

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