Roger Federer: Comeback in Doha, appearances on clay are planned
Roger Federer will make his long-awaited comeback at the ATP tournament in Doha (March 8th to 13th, 2021). Federer announced this in a radio interview with SRF.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Feb 02, 2021, 08:39 am
"I'll try Doha," said Federer. He had thought for a long time where and when to return, "Unfortunately Australia was a touch too early."
He wanted to make his comeback consciously in a smaller tournament, "not the main focus," said the 20-time Grand Slam champ. Playing in what is presumably a (quite) empty stadium will be "a huge experience for me. I'm really happy to announce that now."
Federer has fond memories of Doha: he won there three times, most recently in 2011.
Whether another tournament will follow immediately afterwards will depend on Doha, says Federer, "otherwise I'll go back to the Kondi block, then another tennis block."
Federer on sand?
He will also try it on sand, "most likely," said Federer. In 2017 - on his comeback after knee surgery the year before - he had skipped the clay court season, after the good experience (victory at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Wimbledon) as well as in 2018. In 2019 Federer was back on clay Use and had made it to the semi-finals of Roland Garros.
Everything, but so he restricted, "with a view to Halle, Wimbledon, Olympia, the US Open, that's where the real starting gun is." In the beginning, it's about seeing what it's like to play another tournament. "How does the body react. And just getting away from the training ground again, getting back into the action, that's something special for me after such a long year."
Federer and his comeback: "I love to play tennis for my life"
Federer has actually been without a tournament appearance for almost exactly one year, most recently he played in the semifinals of the Australian Open 2020 and shortly afterwards announced his first of two operations on his right knee.
His biggest drive to make a comeback? "I like to play tennis for my life," said Federer. "And I would love to celebrate great victories again, for that I am ready to go a long, hard road."
Although Federer, known as "Mister-Glas-half-full", can also see the positive thing from last year: "It was totally relaxed for me without traveling. Of course we had to stay at home because of the pandemic, but I hope Everything is going better this year. " Right now, like everyone else, you have to look from day to day.
Federer: "For the first time I feel strong enough for a tournament"
Where is it currently? "Not yet at 100 percent, but almost." He plays sets in training, feels strong, better than in November, December, "when there were still a lot of uncertainties. I haven't seen any setbacks in the last six months, I've always moved forward step by step. That is very, very positive to evaluate. "
He kept pushing his knee to the limit, "this is the first time I feel strong enough to take part in a tournament." When it comes to stress, adrenaline and the like, that is always something different, "These are different worlds than training. Although I always give it my all. But it's not the same."