Renowned tennis commentator and coach Darren Cahill expects Swiss great Roger Federer to play next year’s Australian Open.

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Federer has been absent from ATP Tour action since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

The Swiss aggravated a knee injury and was forced to undergo a third surgery which ended his 2021 campaign.

There is uncertainty about when Federer will return to action, but Cahill says Australian Open organisers are confident the 20-time Grand Slam champion will play at the event early next year.

“There’s so many great stories coming into the Australian Open,” Cahill told the SEN website.

“Roger is apparently playing, I know he’s doing a lot of work on the court at the moment and we’re pretty sure he’s going to come down to play the Australian Open.”

Cahill, a former coach to Simona Halep and ESPN analyst, said Federer was eager to add another Grand Slam to his trophy cabinet.

“At 40 years of age, the fact that he’s even doing what he’s doing is quite remarkable,” Cahill added. “He’s trying to get 21 (Grand Slams).”

Rafael Nadal and Cahill is also confident of a successive comeback for the Spaniard.

Cahill added that Federer’s great rival, Rafael Nadal, is also working hard ahead of the Australian Open.

“Rafael (Nadal) is training his backside off, I’ve seen a lot of vision of him in Spain and he’s working incredibly hard going for 21,” Cahill added.

Picture: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer/Twitter

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