Roger Federer has said recovery from a lung infection may keep him out of action for up to six weeks, but will not affect his game for the rest of the year.
This content was published on
1 minute
The world’s number one tennis player picked up the infection last week and withdrew from the Dubai Championships, which began on Monday. It is the second straight year Federer has missed the tournament, and the Swiss said “it hurt” to pull out.
In an interview with the Blick tabloid, he said the infection was “very serious”. In training last week he had started to feel chills, fever, extreme rib pain and had trouble breathing.
“The fatigue is still there although it is slowly getting better. I hope that I can get rid of it quickly. A restart is only possible if the entire body gets the green light. The worst case prognosis is a six-week break. I have to accept that,” he said.
Federer said the current illness was not like the glandular fever he suffered in 2008. He intends to start preparing for the Indian Wells masters tournament in California, which starts on March 11, once he gets the all-clear from doctors.
swissinfo.ch
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
Go to war or stay put? Ukrainian men in Switzerland face fresh dilemmas
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Federer withdraws from Dubai with lung infection
This content was published on
Organisers said on Sunday that the Swiss star picked up the infection last week and will miss the $2 million event (SFr2.15 million), which starts on Monday. This is the second straight year that Federer has missed the tournament. Circuit official Stephen Duckett said Federer had seen a doctor and that he “was advised not…
This content was published on
As the sun rose on Monday, he says he returned to his hotel and capped a memorable fortnight by holding one of his baby daughters in his arms. Looking remarkably refreshed after a couple of hours’ sleep, Federer said winning his 16th grand slam was different from the past 15: he’s now married with six-month-old…
This content was published on
On top form, the world number one dominated the match at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, winning 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11). The victory extends his record to 16 grand slam titles. Murray started strong, breaking Federer’s serve early in the first set and battling through a 28-stroke rally. But he was no match for…
This content was published on
Roger Federer has won a record 17 grand slam titles but is no less motivated and hungry for success than when he turned professional back in 1998. The stylish Swiss star is the undisputed king of the tennis court.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.