Oh, no, this is really bad! Roger Federer announced on his website today that he won’t be playing in the upcoming Dubai tournament or in Davis Cup competition due to a recurring back injury:

Dear Fans,

Today I am disappointed to announce that I am withdrawing from both Dubai and the Davis Cup tie in the United States. This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favorite events on tour in Dubai but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup. After injuring my back last fall, I did not have enough time to strengthen it completely. As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season.

As always, thanks for your continued support.
Roger

WTF! This is so disappointing for Fed fans, and worrying too! Is that back injury that kept him out of the Paris masters last year becoming terminal? Is he still feeling low after the self-destruction Down Under?

One of you fabulous commenters mentioned after the Aussie Open that you thought his serving suffered in the final due to a flare up of this back injury. At the time I though – ehhhh, it’s just Rafa. But maybe you were on to something, insightful commenter!

More than Dubai (which might not even happen if Ram doesn’t get in), I was really looking forward to Davis Cup and seeing the cool Swiss, Roger Federer, facing the Americans in Birmingham, Alabama. I guess it’s good news for team U.S.A., but I’m totally, totally bummed. But there’s no doubt that the upcoming Indian Wells/Miami swing is not only crucial for the ranking points but also one of the most physically grueling two week periods on tour, so I grudgingly support Roger’s decision. GET WELL SOON, ROGER!

So Fedophiles, what do you think? How are we going to cope with this troubling news? And with Rafa (leg), Roger (back), Serena (knee), Maria (shoulder), Murray (foot), Blake (ankle) and probably a host of other top players injured, what’s going to happen to our sport for the next few months?

ACK!

Photo: REUTERS