Member-only story
TENNIS I TV
Roger Federer’s 2021 Return to Roland Garros is Promising
And that’s an understatement.
Since January 2020, Roger Federer had played only three matches, and none of them were in a Grand Slam. He missed more than a year of tennis, had two knee surgeries, and turned thirty-nine last August. But watching him play yesterday on the Philippe Chatrier court at the French Open, well, he could’ve fooled me.
His first-round match looked like a mix of practice and exhibition game, hitting a vast range of shots with stunning accuracy and the confidence he lacked in recent competitions. It was the first time he actually looked and played like himself. Feeling comfortable on the court, hitting eight aces and forty-eight winners, and eventually bagging the game in three straight sets (6–2, 6–4, 6–3).
What’s more, beyond the sheer numbers and statistics, he seemed truly relaxed and focused. The only expectations he wanted to exceed were the ones he set by himself. And, at this point, the press doesn’t push him much either. There are hardly any ongoing discussions of rivalries with Nadal and Djokovic, no close records waiting to be broken, and no overwhelming pressure to win another slam — at least, not in Paris.
