Novak Djokovic hopes Roger Federer gets 'proper farewell' amid setbacks after knee surgery

Although former world number one Roger Federer is aware that his 'end is near' when it comes to playing professional tennis, Novak Djokovic hopes that his counterpart receives the farewell that he deserves.

Both Federer and Djokovic are two of the greatest players to have ever stepped on the court, with both players having won 20 Grand Slams each.

Novak Djokovic hopes Roger Federer receives a 'proper farewell'

While speaking at a press conference in Turin, where he is competing in the ATP Tour Finals, Novak Djokovic said, "Obviously, Roger is an icon of our sport, and people around the world love him. They love watching him play; they love seeing him around. He is very important for our sport, on and off the court. So for the sake of our sport, I sincerely hope that we can see him play, at least another time."

The Serbian legend then went on to add why he hopes his arch-rival receive a 'proper farewell.' "I'm sure that he doesn't want to end his career this way. I think he's definitely going to try to give it the last push. For everything that he has achieved and created for this sport, he deserves to play and he deserves to have a proper farewell," added Djokovic.

Why will Roger Federer not compete at the Australian Open?

Roger Federer revealed in an interview on Wednesday that he will not only not compete in the Australian Open in January, but also expects to miss out on Wimbledon later in the season. The 40-year old has not competed in a match since undergoing knee surgery for the third time in 1.5 years. He had to undergo treatment for the third time in July this year after he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

In an interview published in the Tribune de Genève newspaper, Roger Federer said, "Even if I know that the end is near, I want to try and play some more big matches. That will not be easy, but I want to try. Let's be clear: My life is not going to fall apart if I don't play another Grand Slam final. But that would be the ultimate dream — to get back there. I want to see one last time what I'm capable of as a professional tennis player." He concluded the interview by stating that he also wants to be able to 'say goodbye' on the tennis court.