Federer needs third surgery; Giorgi wins first WTA title
Roger Federer is going to miss the U.S. Open and be sidelined for months because he needs a third operation on his right knee, a procedure he said will leave him with “a glimmer of hope” that he can return to competition.
Federer announced the news Sunday via a video message on Instagram.
“I've been doing a lot of checks with the doctors, as well, on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon,” Federer said. “Unfortunately they told me for the mediumto long-term, to feel better, I will need surgery, so I decided to do it. I will be on crutches for many weeks and then also out of the game for many months.”
The 40-year-old Federer, who has 20 Grand Slam singles titles to share the men's record with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, acknowledged there was a chance his playing career could be over, but he said he would rehab the knee with the goal of making another comeback.
“I want to be healthy. I want to be running around later, as well, again, and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope, also, to return to the tour in some shape or form,” Federer said. “I am realistic, don't get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it.”
Federer missed more than a year of action after first having his knee repaired shortly after the 2020 Australian Open in February of that year. He had a follow-up procedure that June.
He returned to Grand Slam action at the French Open in late May and then pulled out of the tournament after three victories. His most recent match was a loss at the Wimbledon quarterfinals last month, and he cited the knee injury in withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics.
The season's last Grand Slam tournament, the U.S. Open, starts Aug. 30 in New York. Nadal is dealing with a foot injury, and Djokovic pulled out of tune-up tournaments, saying he needed to rest and recuperate following the Olympics, where he failed to win a medal.
Federer won 16 of his Grand Slam titles between 2003 and 2010 but remained at or near the top of the sport into his late 30s. He won the Australian Open and Wimbledon during a resurgent 2017 and defended his title at Melbourne Park in 2018, his most recent Grand Slam championship. In 2019 he lost a fiveset classic to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
Federer's spot in the U.S. Open main draw will go to Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, the U.S. Tennis Association said. American Mackie McDonald would be the next man to move into the field if there is another withdrawal.
MONTREAL (AP) — Camila Giorgi completed a stunning run at the National Bank Open, beating Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday to win the title in her first WTA 1000 final.
Giorgi, who was unseeded and came in ranked 71st, used a strong service game to best the sixthranked and fourth-seeded Pliskova, winning 71% of her first-serve points and finishing with seven aces.
Tears welled in Giorgi's eyes as she broke Pliskova's serve to close out the match.
The Italian took out No. 9 seed Elise Mertens in the first round, No. 7 seed Petra Kvitova in the round of 16 and No. 15 seed Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals.
She seized the momentum Sunday by breaking Pliskova's serve to go up 4-3 in the first set, a result that led Pliskova to throw her racket to the court.
Pliskova was playing in her first tournament since a three-set loss to topranked Ash Barty in the Wimbledon final.
TORONTO (AP) — Topseeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia beat John Isner of the United States 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday night in the National Bank Open semifinals.
Medvedev knocked off the 6-foot-10 Isner to set up a final against 6-11 American Reilly Opelka, a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (4), 6-4 winner over third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the afternoon.
“I actually watched almost all of his matches,” Medvedev said about Opelka. “I think he's playing great tennis here all week long. Today, the match he turned around with Stefanos was quite unbelievable, a very hard effort.”
The 25-year-old Medvedev, ranked second in the world, has 11 ATP Tour victories, winning this year in Mallorca and Marseille. The 36-yearold Isner won two weeks ago in Atlanta for his 16th career title.
“I was playing great today. I think I almost did no unforced errors,” Medvedev said. “I'm really happy with my game at this moment. I always like coming to the U.S. Open Series. I always feel like I'm playing better and better the more the series continues.”
Opelka saved the lone break point he faced, had 17 aces and won 77% of his first-serve points to finish off Tsitsipas in 2 hours, 32 minutes. Opelka ended the match with one last blast of a serve that Tsitsipas simply couldn't corral.
“I really was clutch with not only my serve but my volleys in the big moments,” said Opelka, ranked 32nd in the world.
He has two tour victories, the last in 2020 at Delray Beach.
Tsitsipas has a tour-leading 45 victories this year, winning clay-court titles in Lyon and Monte Carlo.
“It was played on the details and he prevailed,” Tsitsipas said. “It just didn't go my way when it had to. And it's all right. I feel like there's hope for next time.”