By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, April 11, 2016
Roger Federer says his injury-induced break from the game can be a revitalizing resource in his comeback.
Photo credit: Gerry Weber Open
The healing process provided Roger Federer time for reflection.
Completing his recovery from knee surgery, Federer is ready to launch his comeback in Monte Carlo tomorrow against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
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It will be Federer's first match since bowing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals. The four-time Monte Carlo finalist has not dropped a set to the 38th-ranked Garcia-Lopez in three meetings.
Coming off the first significant surgery of his career, the 34-year-old Swiss says the two-month break was beneficial allowing him bank rest. Federer believes time off the tour can be a revitalizing resource and points to his good friend and sometime practice partner, 38-year-old Tommy Haas, as a prime example of a player who returned from multiple injury breaks recharged.
"I do believe that whatever rest it is—maybe from injury, maybe from just a training block or a vacation—it all ends up somewhere in a canister where you can pull from it," Federer told the media at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters. "You see it with Tommy Haas for instance. He's been injured for almost three years or more of his career, yet he's still on tour. Because he's still mentally fresh. He loves it."
Federer, who won titles on clay, grass and hard-court last season, believes he has a shot to contest for Roland Garros, where he fell in the quarterfinals to eventual-champion Stan Wawrinka last year.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion has reached the Wimbledon final in three of the last four years. Federer views SW19, where he won his last Grand Slam title in 2012, as the most likely site to realizing his major aspirations.
"I've won Paris before and I've played so well there over the years as well. Why not there?" Federer said. "But I definitely think that Wimbledon and the other Slams probably give me a bit of a better chance than the French."
Over the years, Haas has been a friend and sometimes practice partner of several standouts ranging from Federer to Pete Sampras to Andre Agassi.
In an interview last summer, Haas said he regards all three as supreme players. He calls Sampras the best server he faced, Federer the greatest player he ever played and Agassi one of the best pure ball strikers he's seen—even today.
"I would have to say best server I ever faced was probably Pete Sampras," Haas said. "Best player, Roger is up there, for sure. I think he's the greatest of all time. You know, the results speak for that, as well. A lot of great competitors out there, though. I think playing against Rafa is one of the most physically challenges out there. Djokovic, Murray, what they have done physically and also, you know, defensively with the shots, it's a whole new level.
"You know, it's been a privilege obviously. I think Agassi is still one of the best strikers I have ever played against. When you see him hit the ball today, just hitting the ball in general, I think he's still one of the best strikers. So it's been great playing against so many generations."