20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is set to return to clay-court after a long time in Geneva. The last time he featured on clay was back in 2019 Roland Garros where he got knocked out in the semifinals against Rafael Nadal.
The Swiss maestro who is preparing for the Roland Garros spoke to the media and described his feelings. He said that he is feeling like a young man again and the event at Geneva will be important for him to assess his condition.
“I am very anxious and very eager to start competing again, feeling like a player again,” Federer said. “I feel like I’m a young man. My knee, my joints are much better. I hope that what is missing in 2021 will be exciting, because we are getting closer to normal, even if the virus is still present.”
The Geneva Open will be the 39-year-old’s only tournament in the build-up to Roland Garros. After that Federer is scheduled to play in an event in Halle which will help him in his preparation for the Wimbledon and also the Tokyo Olympics.
Federer marked his comeback at Doha in the Qatar Open after remaining out of action for more than a year due to knee injury. The 39-year-old started brightly as he defeated dan Evans in the second round but then he fell to Nikoloz Basilashvili from Georgia who went on to win the event in Qatar.
The Swiss was scheduled to play in both the Dubai Open and Mutua Madrid Open but he later decided to withdraw his name only to work more on his fitness. Hence he said that he cannot wait to step on the court and play again.
“I really can’t wait any longer to play matches,” the Swiss said. “I am a more balanced player (now).”
Lastly, Federer also claimed that he has made adjustments to his training regime which is actually helping him immensely. He also credited modern racquet technology for being a better player as it was not there during his early days.
“Over time I have been able to adjust the details in my playing style, my footwork and the technology of my rackets that make me able to play better now than when I was 20 years old,” Federer concluded.
