‘An outsider,’ Federer rolls
PARIS — Roger Federer entered a refurbished Court Philippe Chatrier for his first French Open match since 2015, greeted by the sun peeking through the clouds and the full-throated support of spectators in their designer sunglasses, straw hats and sweaters tied over their shoulders.
Were it permitted, perhaps some ticket-holders would have embraced Federer right then and there, delivering a kiss on each cheek, as if reunited with an old friend at a sidewalk cafe.
Alas, the welcome was limited to wild applause and enthusiastic chants of his first name — “Rohzher! Roh-zher!” — before and during a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy on Sunday. The match lasted a mere 101 minutes yet Federer found enough time and space to sprinkle in some tremendous shot-making.
“The reception I got today was crazy. Was really nice to see a full stadium for a first round like this,” Federer said, comparing the atmosphere to that of a final.
“I feel,” he said, “that the public missed me. And I missed them, as well.”
His presence at the year’s second Grand Slam tournament was the highlight of Day 1.
Federer, the owner of 20 Grand Slam titles, will turn 38 in August and, frankly, who knows how many more of these he has left?
The guy certainly appeared delighted to make his return to a tournament he won a decade ago, completing a career Grand Slam, but sat out each of the last three years. In 2016, he was sidelined by a back problem, ending his then-record streak of 65 consecutive appearances at majors. Federer then skipped the entire claycourt circuit in each of the last two seasons to focus on preparing for grass and hard courts.
While so much of the title speculation is focused on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Federer enjoys the unusual-for-him position of lowered expectations.
“It’s nice to be an outsider,” he said with an almost imperceptible shrug. “That’s how I feel. Just see how it goes. This is not a show I’m putting on; this is the truth: I really don’t know how far I can go in this event.”