Roger Federer on Monday said that he expects to return to the top tier of tennis even though the next generation of players will have gained ground during his lengthy injury lay-off.
Federer begins his comeback-proper on Swiss home soil in Geneva on Tuesday, with the 39-year-old tennis legend starting a run of tournaments including the French Open, Halle, Wimbledon and then the Tokyo Olympics.
Federer returned to the courts in March, having been out for more than a year following two knee surgeries, winning his first match in Qatar before losing his second.
Doha was his first appearance since January 2020 and an Australian Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic.
“I’m just concerned about where my game is at. The guys on tour are all in a good rhythm. The level that everybody is producing in great. I want to achieve that as well again,” Federer told reporters.
His old rivals Djokovic and Rafael Nadal played out a two-hour 49-minute final in Rome on Sunday, with Nadal claiming a 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 victory to match the Serbian world number one’s record of 36 Masters 1000 series titles.
“I’m excited about the comeback, that’s what my focus needs to be on and not about trying to be at the same level as Rafa and Novak right now,” Federer said. But the 20-time Grand Slam title winner added: “I believe I will be part of the top tier.”
