“However, after consultation with his team, he decided that the best decision for him in the long run is to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open.”
But it appears as though Federer’s recovery to full fitness isn’t the only reason he decided not to compete in Melbourne.
In fact, according to the Daily Mail, Federer is in good physical condition ahead of his return to the sport.
However, the report states the COVID measures in place in Australia acted as an ‘additional detterent’ to Federer.
source: express.co.uk