{"id":234514,"date":"2016-07-27T08:09:52","date_gmt":"2016-07-27T08:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=234514"},"modified":"2016-07-27T08:09:52","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T08:09:52","slug":"federer-to-miss-rio-2016-olympics-with-knee-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=234514","title":{"rendered":"Federer to miss Rio 2016 Olympics with knee injury"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Swiss tennis great Roger Federer will miss the Olympics and the rest of the season with a knee injury.<\/p>\n

The 17-time Grand Slam champion said he needs “more extensive rehabilitation” if he wants to prolong his career.<\/p>\n

Federer, 34, had knee surgery in February before missing May’s French Open with a back problem.<\/p>\n

Federer said on his Facebook page<\/i> he was “extremely disappointed” to not be representing Switzerland in Rio and it was “tough” to miss the rest of 2016.<\/p>\n

“I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017,” he added.<\/p>\n

Federer won doubles gold at Beijing in 2008, but has never won an Olympic singles title and lost to Britain’s Andy Murray in the final at London 2012.<\/p>\n

Federer twice required treatment during a five-set semi-final defeat by Canada’s Milos Raonic at Wimbledon this month, but found a “silver lining” in his injury-troubled year.<\/p>\n

“This experience has made me realise how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries,” he said.<\/p>\n

“The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n