Roger Federer's decision to play Madrid marks a significant moment in the twilight of his career
Roger Federer has confirmed his participation in a clay tournament for the first time since 2016, at the Mutua Madrid Open in May. This will be his first appearance on clay since he was defeated by Dominic Thiem in the third round of the International BNL D'Italia in Rome in May 2016.
One last throw at the dice
Federer has not had a great start to his 2019 campaign. He was unable to defend his Australian Open title, bowing out in the fourth round to the young talent of Stefanos Tsitsipas.
It is not just the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal who are outplaying him now. The last two defeats for Federer came at the hands of upcoming players like Alexander Zverev and Tsitsipas. Is this the year he plans to hang up his boots?
We can only speculate about this, and his fans will of course hope that he continues playing. If he decides to pull down the curtains on his legendary tennis career, he will definitely want to participate in all the Grand Slams one more time. The fans in Paris would love to see him playing for one last time at the French Open.
Keep up his match fitness leading up to Wimbledon
Wimbledon is definitely Federer's favorite tournament and he will want win the coveted title one more time before he hangs up his boots.
Since 2016 he has tried keeping himself fresh for the grass court season leading up to Wimbledon. This tactic has worked well for him and he won the Championship in 2017. However, last year at the Championship did not go the way he expected; he lost in the quarters to Kevin Anderson in an epic match.
Tennis has changed over the years and the physical aspect of the game is a vital cog in a player's success. Does a break help Federer to build on his physical fitness, or does it hamper his match fitness?
It may be a calculated decision to participate in clay court events this year to keep his match fitness at a high for Wimbledon which commences just after the French Open.
The rejuvenated king
All the tennis and Federer fans across the globe can only hope for the best. They can hope that Federer continues playing tennis at his peak at least for the next two years. Moreover, he would also want to add a few more titles to his tally of 20 Grand Slams, and try to keep his record unscathed.
With the likes of Djokovic and Nadal already approaching 20, no record can be taken for granted these days. And the main challenge for Federer is not only to defeat these two but also the likes of Zverev, Stefanos and Borna Coric.
For him to win against such physically aggressive and fit players, he has to up the ante. He needs to be at the top of his game and give them all a run for their money at the Grand Slams, and for that he needs as much practice as he can get.
Clay is not his strong battleground, but he would love to show the entire tennis fraternity as to why is he regarded as the GOAT. For all Federer fans, it would be interesting to see and evaluate his decision to participate in claycourt tournaments this year.