The Beginning Of The End For Roger Federer?

Roger Federer announced today that he will be out for the remainder of the 2016 season as he focuses on extensive rehabilitation of his knee after surgery earlier this year and generally letting his body and, especially his back, have time to recover. Federer will miss his chance to win the Olympic tennis singles title, virtually the only title he has not won, although he did win an Olympic doubles crown with fellow countryman Stan Wrawrinka. He will also miss the US Open later this summer. Federer ended his amazing streak of 65 consecutive Grand Slam appearances in the spring when he pulled out of the French Open. Before that, he hadn't missed a Grand Slam event since 1999, when he did not qualify for the US Open. Consistently ranked among the best players of all time, holding a record 17 Grand Slam singles titles, and recognized as a true gentleman in the game, Federer indicated that he still had the desire to play for another few years on the ATP tour and that he and his doctors agreed that taking this time off would be his best chance to achieve that. I'm guessing that Federer would have shut down for the season after his knee surgery but wanted to give it a go in order to win at Wimbledon which he realized was his best opportunity for another title. He lost a 5 set thriller to Milos Raonic in the semifinals.  Here's hoping the great Fed makes a full recovery so that we can see his grace and artistry on display once again at next year's Australian Open.