Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer said that he wouldn’t have stood a chance against Rafael Nadal in the French Open had he participated in the tournament. Federer skipped the entire clay-court season this year in a bid to refresh himself for the grass events following a long hard-court season. After missing most of the second half of the 2016 season, the Swiss began 2017 with a bang, winning the Australian Open and the Sunshine Double – Indian Wells and Miami Open Masters.

Federer beat Nadal in the final of the 2017 Australian Open to claim his 18th Major, but the current world No 5 said that he “wouldn’t have had a chance” against Nadal had the two squared off in the final of the French Open. “...not the way my clay court tennis is,” he said, addressing a press conference. “I said before that Rafa is going to absolutely destroy the clay court season.”

Apart from clinching his 10th French Open title on Sunday, Nadal won three tournaments on clay this season – Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Masters, and the Barcelona Open. In the final at Roland Garros, the Spaniard thrashed third seed Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1. “I really felt for Stan during the Paris final,” Federer said. “It’s absolutely gigantic how Nadal just did his own thing there.”

Federer is participating in the Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, which will be his first tournament since winning the Miami Open at the beginning of April. He will later participate in the Halle Open before Wimbledon begins on July 3. “Obviously, Wimbledon is my big goal of the season,” he said, adding that Nadal’s win at Roland Garros “won’t change that”.

Not focused on rankings

Nadal’s win in Paris boosted his ranking to No 2 in the world, while Federer’s break dropped the Swiss one rung to fifth. However, the Swiss said that he’s not bothered too much about the rankings. “After the strong clay court season, Rafael Nadal is now way ahead,” he said. “It’s absolutely not my focus. If there were a showdown in the fall [with Nadal], all the better. But I think Rafa is also not constantly looking at the world rankings, but is instead just trying to win as many tournaments as possible.”

The 35-year-old said he is “refreshed and injury free”, and good to go for the grass-court season. “I think I achieved the level of practice champion over the last weeks and months,” he said. “Finally, I can play tournaments again. I’m so looking forward to that.”

Federer said he won’t be changing too much of his game for the “short and very intensive” grass season. “The biggest change would be to just rely on serve-and-volley now,” he said. “I think I’m more dangerous when I mix my game with good services, volleys and strong play from the base line. It’ll feel a bit different in Wimbledon. Just because of the size of the courts and the grass there. Grass court tennis mostly means reacting. I like to think of myself as being pretty good at anticipating.”

He added, “After my break, I have to work on those things becoming naturally for me again. How do you fend off a break ball? How do you get a break ball? I’ll have to adapt to that again. I have high hopes, though, that I’ll play well in Stuttgart already.”

Federer added that he has stopped playing any “dangerous sports” such as skiing and football as he grew older since “the risk of getting injured is just too big”. “I take care to have enough time to regenerate,” he said. “That’s good for the body... The back is good, the knee is good. I just have to take care to get enough sleep, with the kids and all the other things happening. That’s the most important thing for me.”