Roger Federer set to climb to 26th spot in ATP rankings despite not playing professional tennis since Wimbledon 2021

Former World No. 1 Roger Federer will climb one spot to No. 26 in the ATP rankings on Monday. The Swiss dropped to the 30th position at the end of the 2022 Australian Open, but has since climbed four positions despite not playing a single tournament this year.

Roger Federer last featured at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Following his defeat, the 20-time Grand Slam underwent further surgery for his persistent knee injury.

Due to Federer's absence on the tour, his ranking has taken a hit, dropping to 30 after this year's Australian Open. It marked the first time Federer had dropped out of the top 20 in 21 years. However, despite his inactivity, he rose three spots and was the World No. 27 by the end of the Acapulco Open.

After the conclusion of the 2022 Indian Wells Masters, Federer will climb one more step on the ladder, as Aslan Karatsev and Christian Garin will drop to No. 32 and 29, respectively.

Federer could have even reached the 25th spot had Gael Monfils not reached the fourth round of the 2022 Indian Wells Masters. Currently placed at the 28th position, the Frenchman will gain 90 points and move up four spots to 24th in the world. Federer was placed at 27th position and will move up to 26 in the world on Monday. However, his ranking will slip out of the top-40 after the conclusion of the Miami Masters.

Federer is still defending 500 points from his Miami title in 2019, with the rest of his points coming from his fourth-round run at the French Open, 250 points from his title at Halle in 2019 and 600 points from Wimbledon, again from 2019 as well.

Roger Federer returns to training after eight months

Federer during a ski event in Switzerland

Federer shared a video of himself on his Instagram handle on Saturday in which he could be seen hitting some forehands during a training session. It was the first time in more than eight months that fans witnessed him on a court.

Federer had planned to return to the practice courts by April, so this comes slightly ahead of schedule. However, his comeback date is still uncertain right now, with a tentative return in late summer or early autumn.