Roger Federer belittles French Open after Geneva Open loss, fans question his attitude

Yet another early ouster, this time at the Geneva Open 2021, has left former World No.1 Roger Federer's future on the ATP Tour uncertain. Returning to the game after more than a year-long injury layoff, Federer made his first appearance at the Qatar Open, where he was defeated by Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarter-finals. After waiting nearly two months to come back, only to be sent back in Round 2 again, the Swiss Maestro now seems to have no real answer for the demands of even lower-ranked players and is far from equalling any of the actually active Top 10 players.

Geneva Open 2021: Roger Federer dismisses Roland Garros after loss

Perhaps somewhat disillusioned with himself post his return to the ATP Tour, 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has said that the French Open 2021 is no longer on his horizon. Instead, he announced that he would direct all his energies towards preparing himself for the grass-court season, especially Wimbledon, where many expect he will take a call on his career. With Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and many others much higher in contention for a win in Paris, it makes sense for Federer to step back from the tournament and focus on preparing for the tournaments where he really stands out. 

Speaking to the press after his disappointing 4-6, 6-4, 4-6 loss to Spain's Pablo Andujar, the understandably and visibly upset Federer pointed out that “Roland Garros is not the goal. The goal is the grass, so I still have time". Fairly realistic in his goals, he also added that considering how little he has played - only two tournaments since January 2020 - and the level he has been at, it would be foolish to assume that he could win the French Open 2021. He also added that anyone who believed he could still win the Slam - where, even at his best, he only managed one title - was definitely wrong. 

Here's how fans reacted to the loss:

Roger Federer vs Andujar match highlights

Looking like a pale shadow of his former self, 'Swiss Maestro' Roger Federer found himself barely able to cope up with the much lower-ranked Pablo Andujar as the duo clashed in Round 2 of the Geneva Open 2021. After going down 4-6 in the first set, Federer seemed to make a solid comeback, taking set two with a similar margin. Some complacency while 4-2 ahead in the third set, led the local legend to lose his latest match in a disappointing end. 

“Sure, it’s rewarding to be back on a tennis court. But I expect better from myself. I feel like in practice I’ve been playing better, even in practice here. But then again as we know, matches are a different animal. I’ve got my work cut out there." Federer said in his post-match interview addressing the loss. While he has not announced that he will withdraw from the French Open, the status of the Federer next match will be impossible to predict. Here are the Federer vs Andujar match highlights -

Image Credits: AP