WATCH: Roger Federer Kick Starts His Preparation for French Open 2021

Twenty-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Roger Federer is gearing up to make a much-awaited return on the clay courts this year as he chose to play at his home tournament in Geneva, which starts on May 16th.

Following the announcement of the postponement of Roland Garros by one week, the Swiss maestro opted to skip other events and compete in his country in his preparations for the French Open2021.

Roger Federer starts his preparation for the Geneva Open

While Federer’s initial comeback at the Qatar Open was a mixed bag, the Swiss star remained optimistic about his chances of playing at the highest level once again. He believes that his journey on the ATP Tour this year truly starts from Wimbledon. 

Also read: Roger Federer Benefits From Recent ATP Rankings Update

The Swiss star will treat all the events leading up to Wimbledon as practice tournaments. Federer’s decision to play on clay courts this year stems from the idea that on red turf, he can play and sustain longer rallies and get an idea of how strong the knee is. 

Posting a video of him practicing on clay courts in preparation for the Geneva Open, the Swiss maestro posted an Instagram clip and added, “Gearing up for Geneva”. 

Federer will be competing against a strong-player field at Geneva

The arrival of the Swiss is indeed a welcome sign for the ATP tour and the Geneva Open as well. The tournament’s initial entry list includes the likes of Denis Shapovalov, Cristian Garin, Fabio Fognini, among others. 

While Federer has a good record against Shapovalov and Fognini, it will be interesting to see how he faces clay-court specialists like Cristian Garin and Davidovich Fokina as the Swiss star is yet to face these players on the ATP tour. 

Also, the decision of Federer to skip both Madrid and Rome Masters and choose a small-sized tournament for his clay-court comeback might give a hint or two about his expectations on the red dirt. While fitness was an issue during his hard-court return at the Qatar Open, it remains to be seen how his knee responds on clay courts.

But Roger Federer enters the Geneva Open as one of the contenders to win the title amidst a strong field of opponents. 

Also read: Is Wimbledon 2021 Last Chance for Roger Federer To Win a Slam?