Love to watch Roger Federer play, I'm still a big fan of his: Dominic Thiem

Roger Federer is all set to make his long-awaited return to professional tennis at the Qatar Open in Doha this week. Also playing at the tournament is top seed Dominic Thiem, and the Austrian showered rich praise on Federer ahead of his second-round match on Tuesday.

"We are rivals, and of course we want to beat each other in the tournament, [but] I still really love to watch him play tennis," Thiem said. "[He] looks so nice, the way he plays, the way he approaches the game of tennis."

Federer has spent over one year on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury that required operations. The 39-year-old was originally slated to return at the Australian Open in February, but he chose to postpone his comeback by a month.

Thiem on Federer: "I really love to watch him play tennis. It just looks so beautiful, it looks so nice, the way he plays, the way he approaches the game of tennis. I'm also a big fan of him still. I hope he's coming back strong."

— Luigi Gatto (@LuisGatTWI) March 8, 2021

But Dominic Thiem was quick to mention that he is glad the 20-time Grand Slam champion has returned to compete on tour, claiming he is still a 'big fan'.

"On the one hand, I'm also a big fan of his still, and that's why I really love that he's back and that I can watch him again," Thiem said. "That's what pretty much everybody is thinking, and I hope that he's coming back strong, as well."

Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer headline a packed field in Doha

Roger Federer (L) and Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer are the top two seeds in Doha. And while the latter is making his hotly-anticipated comeback, the former is arguably the favorite for the title.

Thiem and Federer are joined by the likes of Andrey Rublev, Roberto Bautista Agut, Denis Shapovalov and Stan Wawrinka, who will all be looking to grab the trophy in Qatar.

New ATP Top 101. Djokovic (for the 311th week, new all time high)2. Nadal3. Medvedev4. Thiem5. Tsitsipas (+1)6. Federer (-1)7. Zverev.8. Rublev9. Schwartzman10. Berrettini

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) March 7, 2021

Both Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer will also be playing at the ATP 500 event in Dubai next week, for which Federer accepted a last-minute wildcard. Before he left Austria for the Middle East, Thiem had claimed that he'd use the two tournaments to 'find his rhythm'.

"Actually, I don’t have good memories of Doha. At my first three starts highlights have been scarce," Thiem wrote in a blogpost on his website. "At least in 2018 I reached the semifinal. However, I had to withdraw before the match against Gael Monfils due to a cold. What are my expectations at my fourth start in the sheikhdom? Honestly – I can’t tell exactly where I am at. I want to find my rhythm as fast as possible, gaining self-confidence through victories and perform well."