Roger Federer believes early defeats are "part of the process", says he has to "trust his path"

Roger Federer's comeback in March started with a win against Dan Evans but quickly turned sour with defeats to Nikoloz Basilashvili and Pablo Andujar. So his win against Denis Istomin in the first round of the 2021 Roland Garros was a welcome relief for the Swiss and his legion of fans.

Roger Federer, on his part, believes those early losses were not unexpected given the circumstances surrounding his comeback from injury. Federer also believes his decision to play at the French Open to prepare for the grasscourt season was the right one, contrary to what some experts have opined.

"Such defeats are unfortunately part of the process," Federer told Simon Graf after his win over Istomin. "I knew I'd have to take the risk of early defeats if I came back now. Like in Doha, in Geneva, maybe also in Paris. The alternative would have been to wait until I was back at 100 per cent. But I've done enough rehab, trained enough, I want to play."

"I have to stay positive, trust my path," Federer added. "Even if it may look strange to some people, to journalists or experts. But that doesn't bother me."

I asked @rogerfederer whether unfamiliar defeats like the one against Pablo Andujar in Geneva hurt his motivation. Interesting answer: «Such defeats are unfortunately part of the process. I knew I'd have to take the risk of early defeats if I came back now.» (1/4)

— Simon Graf (@SimonGraf1) May 31, 2021

Roger Federer said he would not mind playing at a level lower than his peak, provided he can avoid further injuries. The Swiss also admitted that while more training sessions would have helped him on his return, the packed schedule did not afford him such a luxury.

"And as long as I don't risk getting severely injured and play at an acceptable level, that's okay with me," Roger Federer added. "Of course, if I had been able to do several more training blocks, that would have helped. But we don't have that time at the moment."

"I prefer confidence over experience" - Roger Federer

2021 French Open - Day Two

When asked to pick the more important attribute between confidence and experience, Roger Federer chose the former. Federer said confidence gives "clarity" to the mind and allows you to trust your game.

"Yeah, I think I prefer confidence over experience," Roger Federer stated. "Confidence always wins, it's like you're playing downhill. It's like you have the wind behind your back."

"You feel you're much more clear in the head, you've obviously experienced a lot with that. You're solid, you know what you are doing. You know what it takes...Confidence wins you a lot of matches, it gives you clarity, you don't doubt yourselves. You feel like it's gonna go your way, and most important moments you believe it. You're not hoping for the other guy to miss you actually believe you're gonna win."

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