"Fitness is going to be the biggest factor for Roger Federer going forward because he won't lose his artistry with the racket" - Jim Courier

Things have been quiet for 20-time Major winner Roger Federer of late. But his fans will soon get to watch the Swiss maestro in action, as he recently confirmed his participation at the upcoming Geneva Open and the French Open.

Roger Federer made his much-awaited return to competitive tennis earlier at the Qatar Open. He didn't have a fruitful campaign in his first tournament in more than a year though, losing to Nikoloz Basilashvili in three sets in the quarterfinals.

In the aftermath of his loss, Federer was asked whether he was planning to play the European clay swing before the grass season. The 39-year-old had replied then that he "had no choice but to play on clay" if he wanted to get into his groove before Wimbledon.

Against that background, Tennis Channel recently invited four-time Major winner Jim Courier and 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick to discuss Roger Federer's prospects in the clay season. The panel host Steve Weissman first cited the words of Federer's long-time coach Severin Luthi, who believes that his ward is still lagging in terms of match fitness.

When asked by Weissman what the key points to note from Luthi's admission were, Courier replied that Roger Federer's primary concern right now would likely be how to dealing with rust, rather than the stroke mechanics in his game.

"If you're a Roger Federer fan, which most of us are, fitness is going to be the biggest factor for him going forward because he won't lose his artistry with the racket," Courier said. "He just might not be in position to hit many great shots if his fitness isn't there."

“Clay is just a preamble to the main course, which is grass court season.”@rogerfederer is indeed returning to clay, but Jim Courier, @Steve_Weissman, and @andyroddick discuss the Maestro's realistic expectations and goals for the season→ https://t.co/tPoe44TDv0 #TCLive pic.twitter.com/eKEGlo9PzI

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 5, 2021

The American went on to claim that everyone is in the dark about Roger Federer's fitness issues, and that nobody knows whether he'll be able to switch from the best-of-3 format to the more arduous best-of-5 format.

"If we're concerned about the fitness also, what kind of fitness questions are they? Is it the question of health, is it whether he's behind in cardio and working for best-of-five..." Courier said. "Well, we don't have that info. But it's worrisome, no doubt about it."

"He wants a chance to potentially say goodbye to Roland Garros if next year doesn't happen" - Andy Roddick on Roger Federer's decision to play RG

Roger Federer plays a slice at Roland Garros 2019

Andy Roddick, whose best years on the tour overlapped with those of Roger Federer's, also gave his thoughts on the situation. The American insisted that he knew first-hand how the Swiss maestro would never enter any event he wasn't ready to play, and that he is very practical while planning his season.

"Roger throughout his career has not played events he's not ready to play," Roddick said. "He's been fine sitting out weeks, months, especially late in his career he's been really pragmatic about what he plays."

Andy Roddick then weighed in on Roger Federer playing the upcoming edition of Roland Garros.

The Swiss maestro turns 40 this year and is in a race against time to win a Major for one last time before he hangs up his racket. In that context, Roddick claimed that Federer might be playing Roland Garros this year to "potentially say goodbye" to his loyal supporters in Paris.

"At this point of his career, what it tells me is he wants to play in front of his home crowd, wants to play Roland Garros," Roddick added. "Maybe he doesn't know what next year brings, for me he's dealing with being fully fit. This says he wants a chance to potentially say goodbye to Roland Garros if next year doesn't happen."

Jim Courier then reiterated that Roger Federer's main goal for the year would be doing well in the grasscourt season. The Swiss maestro will most likely be playing both Halle and Wimbledon - two tournaments that have been his hunting grounds over the years.

The American also surmised that Federer was playing clay to test whether his body could make a transition from clay to grass without any setbacks.

"All of this clay is just a preamble to the main course, which is the grasscourt season," Courier said. "That's what he's trying to get ready for Andy, I don't know if he's that concerned about results much as how does his body come out of clay and into the grass."