World number three Roger Federer will make his long-awaited return to the ATP World Tour next week at the 2016 Miami Open, the Swiss superstar confirmed via Twitter on Thursday morning. Following recent trends, the Swiss number one announced the news using emoji’s.
The tournament released the following statement: "We are thrilled Roger is making his return to tennis here in Miami," Tournament Director Adam Barrett said. "Our fans will be ecstatic to see the 17-time Grand Slam and two-time Miami Open champion in person."
Federer Ahead of Schedule With Rehab
The news clearly indicates that the two-time Miami champion is ahead of schedule in his rehab. Following knee surgery in early February to repair a torn meniscus, an injury suffered the day after his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic at the 2016 Australian Open, the 17-time Grand Slam champion has missed three tournaments as a result of rehab, including the 2016 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which is currently underway. Federer has been taking to social media in recent weeks, updating his fans on his progress. Just five days ago, the Swiss number one posted photos on Instagram, showing his warm-up before a practice session.
After his surgery, Federer originally announced that he would return in time to play Indian Wells, but did not mention playing Miami, as the Miami Open did not originally appear on his first 2016 schedule. After the adjustments, he clarified his schedule, noting that he would not be able to play in either Indian Wells or in Miami and would make his return at the 2016 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in mid-April.
This last-minute addition to the draw in Miami will mark the first tournament since the Australian Open that the original “Big-Four,” consisting of Djokovic, Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal, will all compete.
Federer Makes Last-Minute Addition
When the original acceptance list to this year’s Miami Open was announced, the Swiss-Maestro’s name appeared, with speculation immediately following, as Federer has not played in Miami since 2014, and the former world number one's plan was to keep his schedule light in advance of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
When he announced that his injury would prohibit him from playing in Indian Wells, he added that he would miss Miami as well, which was hardly a surprise. Now, ahead on his rehab, the Swiss superstar will add his name to the already star-studded draw in Miami which begins on March 21st. In response to the news, the official Miami Open Twitter Account posted a throwback photo of Federer winning his first Miami title in 2005.
The 17-time Grand Slam Champion will look to return to his peak form after his time off. He will compete for his third Miami-title next week.