Roger Federer is the player I'm most interested to watch in 2021: Tim Henman

Roger Federer has been away from the courts since this year's Australian Open. Having undergone two surgeries on his right knee, the Swiss legend is currently in Dubai for the off-season as he prepares for a comeback in 2021. The entire tennis world is now eagerly looking forward to Federer's return - including former World No. 4 Tim Henman.

In recent interviews, Roger Federer has stated he is testing his knee during his current off-season training. The 39-year-old hopes to be fit for the upcoming Australian Open which begins on 8 February, although he has admitted it will be a tight race to get fit in time.

Tim Henman, a four-time semi-finalist at Wimbledon, recently spoke about Roger Federer's impending comeback, in an interview with Tennis.com. The Brit is well-acquainted with Federer both on and off the court, something that he referred to in his comment.

"The obvious one is Roger Federer," Henman said when asked which player he was most interested in watching next year. "I mean, he's a good friend of mine. He's someone I've known for a long, long time, and we're all eager to see him. If and when he's ready to get back out there competing."

Besides being good friends, Federer and Henman also met 13 times on the tour. The Swiss led their rivalry 7-6, with six consecutive wins in their last six matches.

Besides Roger Federer, I would say Jannik Sinner for sure: Tim Henman on who else he is looking forward to in 2021

Jannik Sinner

Tim Henman claimed that in addition to Roger Federer, he would also be keen to follow the prospects of the young Italian Jannik Sinner next year.

The 19-year-old Sinner has skyrocketed up the rankings over the past two seasons, and has been labelled by many as a potential champion in the making.

"If I'm going to give you two, I would say Jannik Sinner for sure," Henman went on. "I've been very impressed with his progress. His performance against Nadal at Roland Garros was very, very impressive. If Sinner had got that first set under his belt, that could have been a long evening for Nadal."

Henman added that although Sinner's game is already 'very, very good', he still has plenty of room for improvement - which is exactly what makes him such an exciting prospect.

"I look at his game and I see a lot of room for improvement," the Brit said. "And that I think is what makes it so exciting. Because he's a very, very good player already. But I think his serve can improve. He can get physically stronger, that will aid his movement. He's going to gain experience the more time he's out there. Expecting a big, big year in 2021 for Sinner."