Roger Federer says he is "not looking to compete against" Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic right now

Ahead of his comeback to the ATP tour at the Geneva Open, Roger Federer has revealed that he still has some doubts over his body and overall level of play. The 39-year-old has also claimed he is some distance away from being able to challenge his arch-rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Roge Federer marked his return to the tour after more than a year at the Qatar Open in March. However, he quickly realized that he still had some work to do to regain peak fitness and form.

The Swiss went on to devote a a couple of months to extensive training. But while speaking to the media ahead of his tournament opener in Geneva, Roger Federer claimed that his situation is far from resolved.

The World No. 8 asserted that he needs to get some matches under his belt before he can fully assess his level, especially when compared with that of Nadal and Djokovic.

"Of course there are some question marks everywhere," Federer said. "But Nadal and Djokovic are on one side and I on the other. I will tell more after 10 matches, but right now I'm not looking to compete straight against them."

Roger Federer is looking at the clay swing as preparation for Wimbledon, despite the difference in surfaces. It's not surprising, then, that the Swiss doesn't harbor any lofty goals from his Roland Garros participation.

"It might sounds strange to mention the French Open as a preparation for the grass, but that's the way it is," Federer continued. "I would like to say Paris is the goal, but I'm not ready for that. It would be presumptuous to say anything is possible for me there."

Roger Federer then likened his first comeback in Doha to scaling a mountain. The 39-year-old highlighted his physical troubles, and mentioned that he had no idea how his stamina levels were or how his body would react to the rigors of the tour.

"In Doha I was at the very begining of a mountain tour, where I didn't know how to get up that mountain, how much stamina I would have and how the body would react," Federer said. "I knew that everything was missing."

Roger Federer in Swiss German: «In Doha I was at the very begining of a mountain tour, where I didn't know how to get up that mountain, how much stamina I would have and how the body would react. I knew that everything was missing.» https://t.co/aSFUWzOHOF #Federer

— Simon Häring (@_shaering) May 17, 2021

Roger Federer also spoke about the difficulties he is likely to face in his bid to reach the upper echelons of the sport once again. The 39-year-old pointed out that the Next Gen have improved drastically, and that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are still as strong as ever.

"The generation of Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Thiem and Zverev has not only improved but has more experience now," Federer said. "Nadal and Djokovic are still there... For me finding the level would be an extra challenge."

That said, Roger Federer believes that a few matches under his belt, coupled with a healthy body, will give him the impetus to become relevant again.

"I think that when I will be healthy and I will be on court for long, I will increase my confidence and I will be again part of top tier," Federer added.

Playing the Geneva Open is the ideal scenario for me: Roger Federer

Roger Federer

Roger Federer further claimed that the Geneva Open and the French Open are the perfect platforms for him to regain his form without the burden of expectations on his shoulders.

"These passages through Geneva and Roland Garros are intended to get me going again," Federer explained. "The matches I will play there are like somewhat privileged training sessions."

Federer went on to stress that he is not too concerned with the results in the coming weeks, and that he is happy to finally break free of his lengthy rehabilitation phase.

"Although the results are not crucial, I am happy to play again and to be able to forget the fitness side, the rehabilitation," Federer said. "I am very happy with this program. For me, playing Geneva is the ideal scenario."