Andy Roddick suggests Roger Federer could make his comeback during the grass season

Andy Roddick believes that Roger Federer's withdrawal from the Australian Open could be a sign that the the 20-time Grand Slam winner is likely to make a comeback during the grasscourt season.

The 39-year-old Roger Federer hasn't played since last year's Australian Open, because of two surgeries on his knee. The Swiss legend has been practicing recently in Dubai, but he needs more time to be ready for a return to competitive action as per his camp.

Over the last month or so, there has been immense speculation about Federer's return. His agent claimed the comeback could kick off in late February, but some of Federer's former Davis Cup teammates believe the Swiss maestro is likely to return a little later - at either Rotterdam or Dubai.

Andy Roddick, however, has a different take on the matter. Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Roddick opined that Roger Federer may not want to risk playing on clay this year given the physical demands of the surface. The former World No. 1 believes the Swiss could instead time his return to coincide with his favorite part of the season - the grass swing.

"If it's not Australia, when is it?" Roddick questioned. "Is he gonna jump back again on the clay...and risk a knee slipping sliding around a couple of months? Does not playing Australia mean that we are looking at him on grass at a tournament that he actually thinks he's gonna win?"

"(I dont know if) he's gonna play a French Open where he's not maybe one of the six, seven, eight favourites on that surface," Roddick added. "Or is he going to wait a little longer and at least play a home game on a surface that he likes."

"If it's not Australia, when is it?"@AndyRoddick breaks down when @RogerFederer could make his long-awaited return to the court.#TCLive pic.twitter.com/AbsafgADch

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 6, 2021

In his prime, Roger Federer was the best offensive player and best defensive player in the world: Andy Roddick

During the chat, Andy Roddick also spoke about how Roger Federer was able to combine offense and defense better than any other player at the peak of his career.

"During his prime, I think Roger Federer was the most offensive player in the world and simultaneously the best defensive player in the world," the American said.

Roger Federer

Roddick added that Roger Federer has taken a more aggressive stance in recent years as he doesn't want to engage in longer rallies.

"That changed even before this last injury," the 38-year-old said. "We all made a big deal about the bigger racket, he's taking cuts on his backhand. That was not a necessity. He did not want to play defense as much. If the rally was not over in the first 2 or 3 shots, he was going to make sure it was over by the fourth shot, unless it as a deuce or a 30-all point. Similar to what we saw from Pete Sampras for a lot of his career."