Roger Federer pulls out of Dubai Open after Qatar exit

Fans were delighted to see Roger Federer back on court at the Qatar Open, but his comeback is short-lived. after playing only two competitive matches, he has decided to go back to training. The Qatar Open was his first tournament back after almost 14 months, and he was defeated by Georgian world number 42 Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarter-finals.

Following his exit from Qatar, the 39-year-old announced that he has decided to withdraw from the ATP tournament which will take place in Dubai next week. "It's best to go back to training," he said. It may be remembered that Federer used most of the past year to recover from a double knee surgery. After playing only two matches, he has decided to take it slow and return to training.

"It's been great to be back on the @atptour, loved every minute playing in Doha once again," he said in a tweet posted on Thursday.

"A big thank you to the best and loyal team that helped me get here. I've decided it's best to go back to training and as a result, I've decided to withdraw from Dubai next week."

It was a shaky comeback for Federer, who needed three sets to win his opening match against Britain's Dan Evans on Wednesday. He expressed his delight to be back on court, but admitted that his performance started to go off track later in the match.

The Qatar Open was his first competitive tournament since he lost in the semi-finals of the 2020 Australian Open against Novak Djokovic. He then decided to undergo surgery when the tour was forced to grind to a halt amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

There will be no doubt that Federer will have his sights set on Wimbledon, after the event was cancelled in 2020. It will be his best chance to extend his record of Grand Slam titles, which he currently shares with Rafael Nadal.

Meanwhile, Nadal has also withdrawn from the Dubai event, citing a back injury that had been bothering him since before the Australian Open last month. For his part, he will be eyeing the French Open in Roland Garros.

Both Federer and Nadal will be keen on fending off Djokovic, who is hot on their heels with 18 Grand Slam titles.