Will Roger Federer Still Be an Elite Player When He Returns in 2017?

Tennis is about to receive its first extended preview of a post-Roger Federer reality.

Days after withdrawing from the Rogers Cup, Federer unexpectedly announced on his Facebook page that he’ll sit out the rest of the season to nurse his ailing left knee.

Roger Federer announces he will miss remainder of the season in order receive “extensive rehabilitation” on his knee pic.twitter.com/Er1LfhssKE

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) July 26, 2016

The sabbatical of the sport’s most popular player and a worldwide icon is a jarring development for fans that creates a palpable hole in terms of star power for the immediate future. His absence necessitates an adjustment period as the game must now roll on without the revered champion. 

Father Time is the undefeated opponent Federer, 34, managed to outrun so imperviously until this point. But his body finally gave in and showed major cracks this year, rendering him fragile and unable to stay healthy.

Aside from the occasional back problem, he’d previously avoided any serious injuries in his career. Like baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr., Federer earned a reputation for being an iron man because he simply couldn’t be knocked out of action. 

This season started smoothly for Federer, as he reached the Australian Open semifinals in January. Though he’d fall to Novak Djokovic in four sets, his play during the tournament didn’t hint at any impending trouble. He was right there in the mix as always, his eye firmly toward winning Wimbledon and gold at the Olympics. 

Just a day later, those dreams were put on hold when he tore his left meniscus while preparing a bath for his children. That one fluke accident triggered a snowball effect. 

He’d undergo surgery, a move that forced him to skip Dubai and Indian Wells as he attacked the rehab process. His recovery seemed to be moving in the right direction based on his social media updates. 

Trying to be