The Swiss returns to the All England Club for a record-tying 18th straight year, with an unprecedented eighth crown once again hanging in the balance, but he explains that while his attitude and expectations are much different this time, his passion for the tournament hasn't wavered.
"I think this is a huge boost for me after pulling out of Paris, that I'm back here at my favourite tournament," Federer said to the assembled media on Saturday. "With all the success I've had here, this is the motivation I need right now to get back on the big courts, play good matches and enjoy Wimbledon.
"I honestly never thought I was going to miss Wimbledon, especially after surgery. I knew I had so much time to make it here, I knew I was going to be fine somehow.
"I love this tournament more than anything. It's a huge opportunity for me to turn around the season and just play some nice tennis, enjoy myself here."
In the midst of an up-and-down 2016 season, which has seen him undergo surgery for the first time in his career following a knee injury suffered in February, Federer enters Wimbledon without at least one ATP World Tour title for the first time since 2000. Still in search of his rhythm on the court, the World No. 3 stresses that it has been a difficult process, but semi-final results in Stuttgart and Halle and a return to his happy hunting ground at SW19 give him renewed confidence.
"I was very, very sad, just because I thought I was going to be lucky not having to do surgery in my career," Federer added. "One stupid move and the season's been completely different than what I expected it to be. So when I heard that I had to do surgery, I took it, accepted it. But then going into surgery was difficult. That's when it hit me.
"I just got really disappointed about it because that's when I really understood what the road was going to look like.
"I
felt like I got unlucky throughout the process with hurting my back
again before Madrid, getting sick in Miami. I got into a tough spell
there.
"I just had to stop
everything by not playing Paris, reset basically, essentially. I don't
want to say 'start from zero', but just reset from there and make
another push for Wimbledon.
"This back has won
me 88 titles, so I'm okay with that back. It's okay if it messes around
with me sometimes," he added.
"That's why the decision not playing Paris was very easy
to take because it was for Wimbledon, it was for the rest of the season,
it was for my life, it was for the rest of my career.
"It's really, really important for your mind to know you can manage the five‑setters. If you get a day off and all that stuff, it's not a problem. All of a sudden you're coming into Wimbledon with more confidence, more understanding where you're at. Now we'll see."
New faces will stand opposite the third seed as he begins his Wimbledon quest, having never faced first-round opponent and World No. 51 Guido Pella or potential second-round opponents Ricardas Berankis and Marcus Willis. Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic and two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic loom large in his half of the draw, but Federer's focus is on the immediate task at hand.
"Clearly I'm not thinking of the title right away. It's too far ahead. Regardless, Novak or Andy are the big favourites in my opinion. They've had such a great last six months, last few years. To me they are the ones to beat.
"I need to focus on myself, getting myself into those positions, the second week and growing momentum. The whole thing starts rolling then hopefully. Getting the job done in the first week is clearly important."
Federer will open his Wimbledon campaign against Pella on Monday.
Date: 25 June 2016, Source: ATP, Reuters and AFP
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