A "super excited" Roger Federer has vowed to fans they will see a better and stronger Swiss Maestro at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart Germany.
After skipping the French Open due to back injury, Federer will be back in action for the grass-court season as he competes at the Stuttgart Open this week against some of the top players in the world. The 17-time Grand Slam winner, after three weeks of quickly rehabbing from the back problem, now approaches his next tournament with no setbacks whatsoever.
"I feel much better again. It's been a good last three weeks. No setbacks," Federer said, reports the ATP's official website. "I'm super excited about playing another tournament."
Federer, whose 65-consecutive Grand Slam event appearances was snapped at the French Open due to the back injury, has had a rough year, so far, having been victim to injuries and setbacks that contributed to his losing slump this season.
Prior to the back injury that also forced him to miss the Madrid Open last month, the Basel native had a knee surgery that sidelined him for more than two months of tennis action, subsequently becoming a factor to his poor performances in Rome.
While it may have been disappointing for Federer to miss those chances to win tournaments, especially at the French Open, where could have faced career rival Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray, the 34-year-old Swiss was adamant missing out at Roland Garros is the right decision in an attempt to extend his professional tennis career.
"It was much better for me to look forward to the rest of the season, rest of my life, really. I didn't want to have setback after setback and injure myself maybe further," Federer said. "In hindsight, that was definitely the right decision."
The top seed Federer, who received a first-round bye, could face either American Taylor Fritz or Frenchman Fabrice Martin in Round of 16 of the Mercedes Cup. While the two potential opponents are considerably a warm-up match for Federer, a convincing win would certainly boost the world No. 3's confidence for the next matches and tournaments leading up to Wimbledon.