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Olympic Games in Tokyo

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer opts to skip Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo

"I am greatly disappointed, as it has been an honor and highlight of my career each time I have represented Switzerland," he noted

Roger Federer EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL

Roger Federer

© EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL

MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. Switzerland’s tennis star Roger Federer decided to skip the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Japan citing a previously sustained knee injury, the player announced on his Twitter account on Tuesday.

"During the grass court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games," Federer, the No. 8 in the ATP World Rankings, stated. "I am greatly disappointed, as it has been an honor and highlight of my career each time I have represented Switzerland."

"I have already begun rehabilitation in the hopes of returning to the tour later this summer," Federer stated. "I wish the entire Swiss team the best of luck and I will be rooting hard from afar."

A total of 64 players, across both men and women’s competitions, are allowed to take part in the Olympic Games in Japan this summer. Fifty-six tennis players are selected based on the ATP (the Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (the Women Tennis Association) ranking lists, while the International Tennis Federation (ITF) issues eight more invitations for players in each category.

The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan’s capital of Tokyo will be held this year between July 23 and August 8. In March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan for one year due to the spread of COVID-19.

As of today, Japan is ranked 34th globally in terms of reported COVID-19 cases, which currently stand at 822,280. A total of over 14,955 people have died of the novel coronavirus infection there, while more than 788,130 have recovered from the illness.

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