Roger Federer has played only 19 matches since the start of 2020, dealing with a knee injury and undergoing three surgeries. Roger reached the Australian Open semi-final in 2020, losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets despite a solid effort in the opener and staying away from the court until March 2021.
The Swiss hit the practice court again in October 2020 and could not recover in time for the upcoming Australian Open. Roger picked Doha as his comeback tournament, selecting a smaller event to avoid pressure. Previously, Roger trained with Daniel Evans in Dubai, and he faced the Briton in the first match after 13 months in the second round in Doha.
In the pre-tournament press conference, Roger spoke about various topics related to his recovery process and his main rivals. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were very successful in a previous couple of years, and they were the players to beat once Roger stepped down to treat his injury.
Federer honored Djokovic as one of the greatest players of all time and one of the rivals who have made him a better competitor on the court. Novak and Roger kicked off their incredible rivalry in Monte Carlo 2006 when the Swiss scored a win in three sets.
Roger and Novak have met 50 times on the Tour, with Novak scoring 27 wins and ten in the previous 14 encounters.
Roger Federer said nice words about Novak Djokovic in March 2021.
Federer and Djokovic were the opponents in five Major finals, with the most recent one coming at Wimbledon 2019.
It turned out into an open war, and Djokovic fended off two match points and prevailed in the decisive tie break to break Roger’s fans’ hearts. Federer had many chances to emerge at the top, but he did not play well in three tie breaks to propel Djokovic over the top.
Two years ago in Melbourne, Novak defeated injured Roger in three sets en route to the final, and it remains their last official meeting. “I enjoy playing against Novak. We have different game styles, and we always bring the best out of each other.
Novak can go in a mood where he is not going to miss. He is one of the greatest players ever, and he made me a better player,” Roger Federer said.
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