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Cape Town - Roger Federer is hoping to bounce back from injury and regain form by competing in the Stuttgart Mercedes Cup, which started on Saturday (June 4).
The 17-time major winner is feeling much better and has recovered from a back injury, which forced him to pull out of the French Open. The 34-year-old admitted that pulling out of the French Open was the right decision, as he wasn't "strong enough".
Federer will play at the Stuttgart tournament for the first time since 2001 and will be hoping to gain momentum in his preparations for Wimbledon in June and July.
This is the second year the German tournament will be played on grass, since switching from clay two years ago with defending champion Rafael Nadal defeating Serbian Viktor Troicki to be the first winner on the new cut grass.
“It's been a tough year,” Federer told ATP World Tour. “I'm super excited about playing another tournament."
At the end of 2015, Federer agreed to play in the German tournament for two years, which will be seen through to 2017.
“They've done a really nice job here (at Stuttgart). I think it's a huge step for them to go from clay to grass,” he said. “I hope it's something good for the future for this event, and I can't wait to play in it.”
He receives a first-round bye, but the Swiss star will be looking forward to his first scheduled match - against either 18-year-old American Taylor Fritz or a qualifier in the second round.
Federer also intends to compete at the Rio Olympics in August. The Stuggart Open runs through to June 16.
