The recently ended season of 2016 has had a fair amount of drama and memorable moments, especially during the indoor session with Andy Murray as the rainmaker. Eventually, the Scotsman outstripped Djokovic in the race for the no. 1 spot on the ATP Tour. For some, it was not enough in terms of Tennis delight as Roger Federer's last appearance was in the mid-summer at Wimbledon. A knee injury caused him immense trouble forcing him to withdraw from the ATP Tour.
For the upcoming season, there are some questions regarding his schedule, with some early events certainly on the table.
Hopman Cup a warm-up for Australian Open
Roger Federer is confirmed for the ITF event called The Hopman Cup, a tournament consisting of 8 nations' teams, which is set to be played in the first week of 2017. For Federer, it`ll be a change as in 2016 he went to Brisbane and made it to the final. The Hopman Cup has the benefit of being a tournament with no ranking points at stake, which means that there is no pressure to deal with. Although he will lose the points from Brisbane, Federer will have the chance to put the wheels in motion after such a long break. So, this event might be the winning warm-up choice for the Australian Open.
The first Grand Slam of 2017 will find Roger Federer floating around the 16-20 spot in the ranking which translates into a high level of difficulty regarding the main draw.
More specifically, Federer might face Murray, Djokovic, Nadal or Wawrinka starting with the 4th round (if he gets there).
But, as many players already agreed, the Australian Open is the easiest Major to win as all competitors are not at their peak in the early stages of the season.
Federer's cautiousness is justified
With so many unknown elements in the equation such as age, the lack of playing and results, the knee recovery from surgery, Roger Federer's aiming range is rather restrained.
His schedule may include the Australian Open, Dubai, and Indian Wells.
According to his previous statements, it`s not worth the risk to play more ATP events judging by his condition. Let`s not forget that the long inactivity period of 2016 was a careful approach as he intends to play for a few more seasons.
For now on, Federer might ignore the ranking pressure and just find a way to enjoy the rest of his professional career.
