Roger Federer's agent, Tony Godsick, says the 17-time Grand Slam champion's decision not to play the rest of the season is motivated by a desire to be fully competitive again.
Federer, who underwent knee surgery following the Australian Open and did not play the French Open because of a back injury, announced this week that he will be sidelined for the season, and will not play the Olympics or the U.S. Open.
"His fitness was not where it needs to be to win," Godsick told Swiss newspaper *Tages-Anzeiger*. "And for him, that is not good enough."
Godsick did not say whether Federer re-aggravated the knee during a fall in the semifinals of Wimbledon.
"What I know is the knee will be fine again,” he said. “That takes time, which you usually do not get in tennis … But if he wants to keep playing for several years and does not want to keep having to be concerned about his body and injuries, he must unfortunately stop during the season. It means temporary sacrifices for long-term goals.''