Roger Federer returns in an attempt to fend off Djokovic

Roger Federer is finally back on court after undergoing two knee surgeries early last year. He has been sidelined since January 2020, and has just seen Novak Djokovic break his streak for the most weeks as world number one.

Federer decided to skip the Australian Open last month, which Djokovic won after a tumultuous tournament that was marred by COVID-19 related travel woes, safety restrictions, and a snap 5-day lockdown in the middle of the event.

The Swiss legend chose the Qatar Open to make his comeback, and has just logged a victory against Britain's Dan Evans, 7-6 (10-8) 3-6 7-5, to reach the quarter-finals. This is his first professional competition in 14 months, and he was eager to share his excitement at being back on court.

"It feels good to be back. It's good to be standing here regardless of whether I won or lost, it's great fun," Federer said.

Even though he appears to be back in shape, the 20-time Grand Slam winner is taking it one day at a time. "I don't know if it was ever completely pain-free. You get to feel tired and you don't know if it's the muscle," he said, as quoted by the BBC.

He emphasised that he will need to keep on playing gruelling events to be able to see how well he has recovered. This will prove crucial if he plans to participate in Grand Slam events that last two weeks and with some matches extending for several hours.

"[What's] important is how I feel tomorrow and the next day for the next six months," he said.

Since winning the Australian open, Djokovic has now narrowed the gap between himself and both Federer and Rafael Nadal when it comes to their Grand Slam title tally. Nadal holds 20 trophies just like Federer, and the Serbian is not far behind with 18.

Djokovic, 33, has been complaining of more discomfort in his body as of late, but he still powered through the Australian Open despite complaining of abdominal pain. Long term health will prove to be crucial for all of the top three, as they compete to outdo each other's Grand Slam haul.

39-year-old Federer is slightly older than the other two, and will have to make sure that he stays fit. Even in Qatar, he admitted that his energy wore off towards the end of the match. "Dan had more energy left at the end but I thought I played a good match and I'm incredibly happy with my performance," he said.