Basel (Switzerland):
Roger Federer has had knee surgery and expects to miss tournaments in Rotterdam and Dubai this month.
"Roger Federer underwent successful arthroscopic knee surgery today in Switzerland to repair a torn meniscus," a statement on his official website said on Wednesday.
It is a rare injury setback for the 34-year-old Federer, who has had relatively minor back problems in 2008 and 2013.
The statement did not specify which knee is injured, though it said it happened last Friday, one day after his Australian Open semifinal loss against Novak Djokovic.
"My doctors have (assured) me that the surgery was a success and with proper rehabilitation, I will be able to return to the Tour soon," Federer said in the statement.
His next scheduled tournament is a Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, California, starting March 7.
"I apologize to my friends in Rotterdam and Dubai, as I was very much looking forward to playing those events," Federer said in a statement on his Facebook page.
I want to inform you that yesterday I underwent arthroscopic surgery on my knee. I injured my knee the day after the...
Posted by Roger Federer on Wednesday, 3 February 2016
The Rotterdam tournament organizer, the former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, said he got the news on Tuesday.
"Obviously, receiving this information yesterday evening is a major setback for us, as it is for the fans looking forward to his presence," Krajicek said. "We hope to have Roger back next year."
