Roger Federer considered closing the curtain on his career following his second arthroscopic knee surgery last month.
The 38-year-old Swiss said after his second knee surgery in five months, he contemplated retiring before deciding to continue his rehab.
More: Federer Launches New Shoe
Federer spoke to the media on a Zoom call on Monday as he launched his new namesake lifestyle shoe "The Roger" created through his collaboration with Swiss sneaker brand On.
“It has definitely been a big moment for me, with the coronavirus and the two operations I have had on my knee and I have had to consider if I really want to keep going [to continue playing],” Federer said. “It is easy for me to say that I do right now, but it is a long road back and I have to be patient with my recovery.
"But speaking more generally about the coronavirus, I think it is a time for reflection and for us all to remember what is really important in life—family, friends, health. And you go back to basics really."
The 20-time Grand Slam champion preached patience as the sport aims to return next month from the coronavirus crisis.
"I do miss playing in front of the fans, no doubt," Federer said. "Now, I think if tennis comes back we know it won’t be in a normal way where we can have full crowds yet.
"So naturally we wouldn’t be able to interact with the fans like we used to, taking selfies, taking pictures, signing autographs, being able to speak to them because I feel the tennis player at heart is very close to their fans and so am I.
"Of course, I miss it but I think right now we’re going through a period where we’ve got to be patient and hopefully starting next year at some point we’ll see each other more often and things will hopefully be somewhere back to normal. We’ve got to be patient."
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