Roger Federer admitted he was thankful for the knee injury that required him to undergo surgery, but the Swiss Maestro confessed the setback made him think about the uncertainty over his professional tennis career.
If there is anything positive about Federer's recent injury, it was the fact that the 34-year-old Swiss was able to get some rest heading into his main goal of winning the French Open to extend his all-time Grand Slam record.
But according to Federer himself, he is more grateful that the injury happened before his left knee collapses, giving way to an arthroscopic surgery that repaired his torn meniscus.
"But I don't know what I did. I bathed my daughters," Federer said referring to an accident that caused the injury, reports Tennis World USA.
"It was something that could have happened to anyone. Maybe my meniscus was degenerated and ready to collapse already, so I'm happy the way it happened. I'm thankful for that."
Federer participated in his first competitive match at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3 6-4 in Round of 32 of the ATP 1000 Masters event. The 34-year-old Swiss showed no signs of rustiness in his game after sweeping Garcia-Lopez in a match that lasted for 75 minutes.
"The knee felt really good, like in practice. Felt like I didn't have to worry about it. I could just go freely," Federer said.
"I think I got what I needed. So we'll see how I feel tomorrow, tonight, the next day," Federer said. "Sometimes after a match, you can feel it for two days. At this point I'm pretty confident I'll feel fine."
Federer's next match at the Monte Carlo Masters will be against Another Spaniard in Roberto Bautista Agut, who defeated Jeremy Chardy 6-3 5-7 7-5. The Basel native has never lost against Bautista Agut, leading the 27-year-old Spanish pro by 4-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup.
Federer seems to have picked up where left off after with his in-form performance in full display. However, it remains to be seen whether his knee would withstand the physicality needed in playing on clay-court as the tournament goes on.