Roger Federer Return: Tennis Star Set To Come Back From Knee Injury?

It’s been almost two months since Roger Federer had his last tennis match, but his hiatus will soon come to an end. After undergoing knee surgery last month, the world’s No.3 ranked player is ready to get back on the court.

Federer will compete in the Miami Open, which is set to begin on March 23. His last match came in an Australian Open semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic on Jan. 28. Djokovic won the match in four sets, going on to win his fourth Grand Slam in five tries.

Federer had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, which he injured the day after his match against Djokovic. He was forced to cancel appearances in two upcoming tournaments, and he was unable to play at Indiana Wells on March 7, where he was also scheduled to compete.

“I am so disappointed to have to miss Rotterdam and Dubai as they are two of my favorite tournaments on the ATP World Tour," Federer said after undergoing surgery. "While this is an unfortunate setback, I feel grateful that up until now I have remained mostly healthy throughout my career. My doctors have ensured me that the surgery was a success and with proper rehabilitation, I will be able to return to the Tour soon.”

Federer is 34 years old and he won his first Grand Slam nearly 13 years ago, but he’s managed to avoid major injuries throughout his career. He’s competed in every Grand Slam since the turn of the century, and his 17 victories are an all-time record. Federer will be ready to go for the 2016 French Open in May, where he’ll look to win his first Grand Slam since 2012.

In 2013, Federer dealt with a back injury but continued to play. He later said that he would have been better off taking some time to recuperate. It was the first year since 2002 that Federer failed to reach the finals of any Grand Slam.

In his only other tournament this year, Federer lost to Milos Raonic in the finals at the Brisbane International. His last tournament victory came at the Swiss Indoors Basel in October of last year when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final.