World number one Novak Djokovic said on Wednesday he hopes rival Roger Federer will return to competitive action soon and be able to compete with the best again after the Swiss great said he would miss the Australian Open in January. Federer, 40, told Swiss media he is unlikely to return to competition until mid-2022 as he recovers from multiple knee surgeries and would be “extremely surprised” if he was able to play at Wimbledon, a Grand Slam he has won a record eight times. The 20-times major champion said he would be able to resume running in January and return to training on the court in March or April. “Roger is an icon of our sport and people around the world love him. They love watching him play, love seeing him around,” Djokovic said after securing a semifinal spot at the ATP Finals with a 6–3 6–2 victory over …