'End is near' but Federer not giving up on Slam dream

Just before the start of Wimbledon in late June, Roger Federer recalled a conversation about retirement that he had with Pete Sampras a decade ago.

"He was wondering how much longer I had in the tank. This was when I was just hitting 30," Federer said. "He was thinking I was coming toward the end or something, just because it was, for him, normal that at 31, 33－with the career that we've had, with all the sacrifice, in a way, you have to go through－it's hard to keep on pushing for more years on tour."

Federer, who turned 40 in August, went on to explain that he never thought he'd still be going at this age, especially after a series of knee operations. With Wednesday's news that not only will he sit out the Australian Open in January but also expects to miss Wimbledon in 2022, the notion that Federer really might not have many－or perhaps even any－high-level performances left in him becomes all the more real.