Roger Federer is set to make a sumptuous return in Europe for the upcoming season on red clay. His recent triumph in Miami may have opened another interesting debate around his persona, one of many such discussions revolving around Federer since his spectacular return from 2017.
As far as the overall meteorological stats are concerned, Miami's climate presents some similarities with the condition a player will encounter while competing on clay in Europe. When it comes to the humidity level, Miami has no rival, but Federer skidded past that detail to complete his fourth Miami title.
Currently ranked fourth in the ATP rankings, the 37-year-old is well positioned for the upcoming tournaments. A fourth seed status presents itself as a guarantee that he won't have to worry about a possible clash with his biggest rivals up until the semis.
Federer chose the Mutua Madrid Open for a reason
According to the tour tracer feature on Roger Federer's official website, he chose Mutua Madrid Open as the starting point of his 2019 campaign. Choosing this tournament as the sole warm-up event prior to the 2019 French Open shows Federer's eagerness to not just compete, but to also aim for the big perks.
Mutua Madrid Open is one of the three Masters 1000 Tennis events on the ATP calendar held on clay and the only one that tends to reward a more aggressive approach to tennis, rather than the typical grind a clay-court match usually comes down to.
And, the crucial factor is the higher altitude the tournament takes place at, for the city of Madrid is located about one thousand feet above sea level.
This small yet crucial detail is the one injecting speed into the matches played out there. Due to the altitude, the air resistance (friction) is smaller and, as a consequence, the balls are flying faster.
Throughout his career, Roger Federer's conversion rate against Rafael Nadal was small on the clay-court matches. Still, he managed to outgun his rival twice on this surface. One of those victories occurred in Hamburg while the second one took place right there, in the 2009 Mutua Madrid Open final.
The 2019 Mutua Madrid Open will start on May 5 and all ATP top players are expected to rock through the gates.
Roger Federer to play the 2019 French Open
At this point, Roger Federer's name appears as part of the entry list for the Rome Masters. But it's hard to believe he'll go for a full schedule on the red clay.
The focus of these upcoming two months is set on the 2019 French Open, an event Roger Federer hasn't competed at since 2015. Almost four years ago, Federer reached the quarterfinals at the French Open only to bow down in straight sets against the eventual winner, Stan Wawrinka.
Having no points to defend during the upcoming segment of the calendar, Roger Federer has put himself in a favorable position. Moreover, with a solid seed status on his name, he can hope for a deeper run at these tournaments.
When it comes to making predictions, Roger Federer himself showed caution about his chances on clay. He also highlighted that there's a level of rust he would need to get rid off before entering these tournaments.
Right after he won the 2019 Miami Open title, during a post-match press conference, Roger Federer offered some precious insights about how it feels to be headed for the clay court season after skipping that part of the calendar for the last few years.
Given the special aura this guy has thoroughly been building around himself for decades, some may tend to naturally add his name in the favorites' box at the first call. But with the clay, things tend to turn more dramatic as the game's own physicality changes the natural course of play.
Even so, having Roger Federer playing through this part of the season is excellent news for the sport, and fans must be thrilled about it. Keep in mind that the 2019 French Open will kick off on May 26.
