Roger Federer withdraws from upcoming Dubai tournament after making comeback
Roger Federer has pulled out of an upcoming tennis tournament in Dubai after returning to action following a 13-month injury layoff.
The 20-time grand slam champion hadn't played competitively in over a year after undergoing two knee surgeries in 2020 but won his comeback match against Dan Evans at the Qatar Open on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old was then beaten by Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili -- 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 -- in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Federer was due to continue his comeback at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on March 14 but says he's withdrawn to focus on training.
Roger Federer admitted that he is far away from getting back to his best after being knocked out of the Qatar Open Getty
"It's been great to be back on the [ATP Tour], loved every minute playing in Doha once again," he wrote on Twitter.
"A big thank you to the best and loyal team that helped me get here.
"I've decided it's best to go back to training and as a result, I've decided to withdraw from Dubai next week."
Federer had previously decided not to defend his title at the Miami Open which is due to start on March 22.
