Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer is all set to make his return to the sport at an ATP tournament in Doha, Qatar in March, CNN reported citing the player's agent.
Federer last featured in January 2020 in the Australian Open before undergoing knee surgery. Last month, he withdrew from the Australian Open 2021.
"In the end, Roger ran out of time to get himself ready for the rigours of a Grand Slam and he's very disappointed he won't be coming to Melbourne in 2021," Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley had said in an official statement.
"The Australian Open has always held a special place in his heart -- remember it was Roger who first called the AO the 'happy slam'," he had added.
Earlier in the day, Spsh tennis player Rafael Nadal announced that he would not be participating in the ATP Cup match against Alex de Minaur and Australia. The Spard withdrew from the clash citing a "stiff lower back".
"Hi all, we have decided with #TeamSpain and my team, to not play today the first match of the @ATPCup here in #Melbourne since I have a stiff low back. Hopefully, I'll be better for Thursday. We have a strong team, all the to @pablocarreno91 @BautistaAgut & @M_Granollers, #vamos," tweeted Nadal.
( With inputs from ANI )
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