A fit Kevin Anderson eager to "get back out there" when tennis resumes

Kevin Anderson's comeback is on hold, even though he's recovered from a second right knee surgery.

The 33-year-old went under the knife a month ago to repair a torn meniscus and is almost fit to compete again. Yet with all ATP events suspended due to coronavirus, he doesn't have any events to play.

"My recovery’s gone great. I think it’s been really successful so far," Anderson told the ATP. "I feel like the toughest part of getting over the surgery and recovery has been done."

He had been aiming to return in a few weeks, but is now looking at a lengthy layoff with the rest of his colleagues. In 2019, a right elbow issue forced Anderson to miss the European clay swing. He came back to play two grass-court tournaments—including Wimbledon—as the reigning finalist, but didn't play again for the rest of the year after making the decision to have his first right-knee surgery in September.

"I probably would have been ready for Monte Carlo and the clay-court season," said Anderson. "Even if the tour resumes in a few months, in the past year and a half, I’ve only played eight tournaments, not a lot of matches, and obviously my ranking will have gone down quite a lot, so I won’t be seeded."

*Kevin Anderson*

Last year's time at home gave the former world No. 5 a chance to spend unexpected time with wife Kelsey and newborn Keira, the couple's first child. The precious moments of seeing his daughter develop with each passing day has been "fascinating", he described to the tour's website. “There’s still so much to come, but even just listening to the baby talk and her grasping for things, being able to move around a little bit [has been great]. I feel like her just growing and learning has been the most amazing part of it for me."

Before the ATP froze its rankings on March 9, Anderson had dropped to No. 123. But he's not complaining, saying the pandemic is "bigger" than tennis, and is still eager to keep playing.

"There are always challenges, but I know that if I stay healthy and keep trusting in my game, I’m going to give myself opportunities and I fully believe that I can get back there," he said.

Anderson is 3-3 on the year. In his first match, he pushed Novak Djokovic to two tiebreakers at the inaugural ATP Cup. The Serbian has since opened up an 18-0 start to the season.