Roger Federer has only played 19 matches since the start of 2020, due to a knee injury and three surgeries. Roger reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2020, losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets despite a strong opening effort and staying away from the courts until March 2021.
The Swiss returned to the training grounds in October 2020 and was unable to recover in time for the upcoming Australian Open. Roger chose Doha as his comeback tournament, choosing a smaller event to avoid the pressure. Previously, Roger trained with Daniel Evans in Dubai, and he faced the Briton in his first game after 13 months, in the second round in Doha.
During the pre-tournament press conference, Roger addressed various topics related to his recovery process and his main rivals. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal had enjoyed great success over the previous two years, and they were the players to beat when Roger pulled out to treat his injury.
Federer honored Djokovic as one of the greatest players of all time and one of the rivals who made him a better competitor on the court. Novak and Roger kicked off their incredible rivalry at Monte Carlo 2006, when the Swiss secured a victory in three sets.
Roger and Novak have met 50 times on the tour, with Novak having won 27 and winning 10 in the previous 14 encounters.
Roger Federer said nice things about Novak Djokovic in March 2021.
Federer and Djokovic have been opponents in five Major finals, the most recent being at Wimbledon 2019.
The match turned into an open war, and Djokovic fended off two match points and prevailed in the decisive tie break to break the hearts of Roger fans. Federer had plenty of chances to emerge at the top, but he didn’t play well in the three tie breaks that propelled Djokovic to the top.
Two years ago in Melbourne, Novak defeated the injured Roger in straight sets to reach the final, and this remains their last official meeting. “I like playing against Novak. We have different styles of play, and we always give our best.
Novak can get himself into a mindset where he’s not going to mess up. He’s one of the greatest players of all time, and he made me a better player.” Roger Federer said.
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