Roger Federer has delayed his return from knee surgery by a month to avoid pushing himself "too hard".
The 34-year-old, who is currently the world number three, underwent an operation after tearing his miniscus following his Australian Open defeat to Novak Djokovic last month.
Federer originally expected to be back in action in time for the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells next month but will instead return for the Monte Carlo Masters in April ahead of the French Open.
In a post on his Facebook page, he wrote: "The Rehab for my knee is going really well! I have now had a lot of great practices on the court and in the gym.
"As it is a long year, I don't want to push it too hard and come back too soon. Thus, I will unfortunately not be able to make it back in time for the great event in Indian Wells but I do plan on playing in the desert next year.
"After consultation with my team, I have decided to enter the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Thanks for the support and I will see you back on tour soon."
Federer is the most successful male tennis player in the Open Era, with a record 17 Grand Slam titles to his name in his 18-year senior career.
Neil Wilkes
