Is this the end of the road for Roger Federer?

FILE - In this Jan. 30, 2020, file photo, Switzerland's Roger Federer speaks during a press conference following his semifinal loss to Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Federer leads the annual Forbes ranking of highest-paid athletes with what the magazine says is $106.3 million in total earnings. He is the first tennis player top the list since it was first compiled in 1990. [AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File]

Roger Federer is talking optimistically about returning to his “highest level” after knee surgery, but does tennis have to start adjusting to a future without the Swiss star?

The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that he would be sidelined until 2021 after his second operation in a matter of months.