Tennis star Roger Federer sees the French Open this year only as preparation for the grass classic at Wimbledon. “That sounds strange, but that’s the way it is. I would like to say that Paris is my big goal, but I’m not there yet, ”said Federer on Monday in Geneva. At the clay court tournament there, the 39-year-old Swiss is returning to the ATP tour after a break of more than two months.
The French Open can only be found once in Roger Federer’s list of 20 Grand Slam victories so far. He won his only victory in 2009. The main reason for the meager yield is the name Rafael Nadal, who is considered very difficult to beat on clay and has 13 French Open titles.
Most recently, Federer celebrated his comeback at the tournament in Doha in March after a break of more than a year because of two knee operations. There the 20-time Grand Slam winner was eliminated in the second round. Then he retired and continued to work on his fitness during training.
Federer’s big goal this year is again Wimbledon, where he celebrated eight of his 20 Grand Slam titles. “I hope to be ready for the start of the grass season and then to be able to achieve my goals there,” said the long-time number one in the world. “Wimbledon is my big goal.”
Federer is not worried that his biggest rivals Novak Djokovic (Serbia) and Rafael Nadal (Spain) are already in top shape again and delivered a high-class final in the final in Rome on Sunday. “It’s about me, not about being on a level with Rafa and Novak,” said Federer. That is currently not realistic. “I would be happy if I can play a few matches in Geneva and Paris. For me it’s about getting match fitness, finding a bit of rhythm, ”said Federer, who has a bye at the start in Geneva.
In Rome, Nadal had won against Djokovic in three sets on Sunday and celebrated his tenth title in the Italian capital. The French Open in Paris will take place from May 30th to June 13th. Wimbledon begins two weeks later.
Source: dpa
