Players like Roger Federer have the money to prolong their careers, says Chris Evert

Players like Roger Federer today have the financial means to prolong their tennis careers according to former women's world number one Chris Evert.

Federer suffered a knee injury a day after his 2016 Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic which resulted in him requiring surgery.

The Swiss ace would return in July of that year but decided to take the rest of the year off to completely recover in a move that has since seen him reap huge benefits over the last 12 months.

Federer returned to win the Australian Open last year in what was his first major title since 2012. In addition, he would go on to win another six titles, including a record-breaking eighth Wimbledon crown.

A key factor in the 36-year-old's remarkable 2017 was the strategic management of his schedule as he notably skipped the clay-court season and pulled out of certain events.

But Evert believes there is more to it as players like Federer, who recently won the 2018 Australian Open, now have the luxury of hiring people to prolong their careers, compared to her playing career in the 1970's.

"Today's players have the luxury of having a massage therapist, a sports psychologist," Evert told New York Daily News. "It's a team effort. The money is out there, and they can afford to pay people to prolong their careers.

"Roger was off for six months (in 2016 with a knee injury), and came back stronger than ever. We had very few weeks off and in the '70s, we were building a tour, especially women. Players are playing less and taking better care of their bodies now."

The 63-year-old also touched upon Margaret Court's controversial comments last year on same-sex marriage and transgender children.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion's remarks led to widespread criticism from the tennis world with calls for her name to be removed from the arena in Melbourne Park. Evert does not agree with her stance but does believe in free speech.

"I don't agree with (Court)," Evert added. "Her philosophy bothers me, yes. But at the same time, I'm (for) free speech.

"There's a controversy — should they take (Court's) name off the (Margaret Court Arena)? No. You're celebrating her tennis."