Roger Federer steps up rehab, shares pictures of himself training in the gym

Roger Federer recently shared a few pictures from his training session at the gym, raising hopes of an imminent return to action. The 40-year-old has been sidelined since the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

Federer underwent a third knee surgery after the grasscourt season last year and hasn't returned to competition since then.

Allaying concerns about his retirement, Federer recently confirmed his participation in Basel and the Laver Cup and has now shared a few pictures of his intense workout in the gym.

A couple of months ago, the 20-time Grand Slam champion provided an update on his fitness, saying his recovery was going well.

"It's fine. Much better, obviously I was on crutches for two months so you have to start from the bottom. It was certainly the right thing to do, the knee wasn't right after Wimbledon (last year), so it couldn't go on," he said. "Currently I'm in three parts. First the whole rehab, getting back on your feet at the beginning. Then afterwards learning to walk and building up the whole thing."

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Roger Federer's streak of 22 consecutive appearances at Wimbledon is set to come to an end this year

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Since making his Wimbledon debut in 1999, Federer has made 22 consecutive appearances at the All England Club, winning a record eight titles. But that streak is all set to come to an end this summer.

Federer has said that he still has a lot of work to do before he can begin thinking about his comeback, which he hopes will be at "the end of the summer".

"It's only now where I'm at the phase where I can start thinking about my comeback. I had a very good MRI a few weeks ago, which makes me feel very positive. It will certainly be a while. The end of the summer, early autumn, where I'm aiming for a comeback," he said a few months ago.

Considering the pace of his recovery, he is likely to return to action after Wimbledon, possibly during the US hardcourt swing.

The former World No. 1 has been beset by injuries since the start of 2020. Roger Federer's last title came at Basel in 2019, while his 20th and most recent Grand Slam crown was at the Australian Open in 2018.