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Roger Federer To Miss Olympics, Rest Of 2016 With Knee Injury

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Roger Federer says he will miss the Rio Olympics and the rest of the tennis season to protect his surgically repaired left knee.

Federer wrote Tuesday on his Facebook page that he will skip the Summer Games, where the tennis competition starts next week, and has been advised by doctors to remain sidelined for the remainder of 2016.

Dear Fans, I'm extremely disappointed to announce that I will not be able to represent Switzerland at the Olympic Games...

Posted by Roger Federer on Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Federer said he needs "more extensive rehabilitation" after arthroscopic knee surgery in February. That was the first operation of Federer's lengthy and accomplished career.

"The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover. It is tough to miss the rest of the year," Federer wrote. "However, the silver lining is that this experience has made me realize how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries. The love I have for tennis, the competition, tournaments and of course you, the fans remains intact. I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017.

The owner of a record 17 Grand Slam titles turns 35 on Aug. 8. He hasn't played since losing to Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon semifinals earlier this month. Federer fell awkwardly during that match and said at the time he wasn't sure how badly he might have been injured.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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