Having undergone arthroscopic early last month to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, Roger Federer is ready to return to the tennis court. The Swiss tennis icon announced Thursday he would play in the Miami Open next week.
Having kept his fans updated throughout his rehabilitation on Twitter, Federer made an emoji-laden announcement that strongly foreshadowed his return. His agent, Tony Godsick, later confirmed the 17-time Grand Slam champion decision in plainer terms.
Federer's tweet only had one word: "@MiamiOpen," which was preceded by emojis that told the story of an intercontinental flight to the U.S. to play tennis in a sunny state.
"Roger's very excited to return to Miami," Godsick said. "He's always enjoyed playing the tournament, and he looks forward to getting back out on the court after his knee surgery. He's been practicing very well the last few days with no setbacks so he's looking forward to seeing the fans in Miami next week."
At 34 years old, Federer's recovery seems to defy logic, but he was optimistic he would not be sidelined for long since having the surgery done.
"While this is an unfortunate setback, I feel grateful that up until now I have remained mostly healthy throughout my career," he said in Feb. "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."
The Miami Open is also glad for Federer's smooth recovery and subsequent choice to play at the tournament in Key Biscayne. The Miami Open starts March 22 and runs through April 3.
"We are thrilled Roger is making his return to tennis here in Miami," Adam Barrett, the Miami Open's director, said in a statement. "Our fans will be ecstatic to see the 17-time Grand Slam and two-time Miami Open champion in person."
Federer has been inactive since losing to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open in late January. Federer will have the chance to avenge the loss, or play his long-time rival Rafael Nadal, both of whom are playing in the tournament.
Federer is the Association of Tennis Professionals' third-ranked player in the world behind Djokovic and Andy Murray. Only countryman Stan Wawrinka separates Federer from Nadal in the ATP rankings.
