AFP, Lausanne

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer said he hopes to recover from his latest knee surgery and get back on the ATP circuit next season.

“How, why and to do what, I don’t yet know, but that would be the idea,” the 20-time Grand Slam title winner and former world number one told Swiss daily Tagesanzeiger in an interview published on Sunday.

Federer, who will be 41 in August, has not played since a quarter-final defeat at Wimbledon almost a year ago and his latest knee surgery was his third in 18 months.

“I myself am curious to see what will follow,” Federer said. “But I have hope, I have already come a long way. I’m not far. The next three or four months will be extremely important.”

Federer told Swiss broadcaster SRF on Saturday that he is “currently focusing on (his) physical condition, so that there is no overload” and goes to the gym “five to six times a week”.

He is aiming for a return to action at the Laver Cup in London from September 23-25 and then his hometown tournament of Basel from October 24-30.

Federer, the winner of 103 trophies over his career, played only 13 matches in 2021 and just six in 2020. He is currently ranked 50th in ATP standings, his lowest in 22 years.