There are already 4 figures confirmed for the Halle 2021 tournament, standing out above all the Swiss Roger Federer. The ATP 500 category competition, scheduled on German grass from June 14 to 20, already has the first players who will be in the main draw of its next edition.
Although he is not the best positioned in the ranking, the presence of Federer will undoubtedly be the great attraction of him. The current number six in the world will once again return to Halle, an event that he has conquered in a total of 10 opportunities, being the highest winner in history.
Roger won the 2003, 2004, 2005 (2), 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019 editions. The Swiss is the defending champion after defeating the Belgian David Goffin. It should be remembered that the Halle tournament, as well as the entire grass tour, was canceled last year due to the pandemic and it is expected that they will return to the calendar in 2021, if the virus itself allows it and there is nothing strange.
Besides Federer, the other confirmed players are the Russians Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov, as well as the Japanese Kei Nishikori. Medvedev, current number two in the world, would start as the first in the seed in a tournament that promises to put together a great picture, in the previous Wimbledon, but where even having the main member of the “NextGen”, the reflectors, at least in In the first instance, Federer will continue to take them, within one of his favorite stops.
For their part, Khachanov and Nishikori are two other big names on the men’s circuit that will take the stop before Wimbledon. Speaking to Spanish sports daily AS Diario, Roberto Bautista Agut was asked what he expected from Roger Federer in his comeback.
In response, the Spaniard claimed that Federer always has a lot of hopes riding on his shoulders whenever he takes the court, and that that can only be a good thing for the sport. He also talked about Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Bautista Agut praises the Big 3
“There are a lot of expectations on Roger Federer when he plays,” Roberto Bautista Agut said. “It’s very good for tennis to have him back. (Hope) that he can compete as long as possible because Roger, Rafa and Novak make tennis more popular and important,” the Spaniard continued.
“They are global icons.” Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem followed Roger Federer in withdrawing from Miami, leaving the Masters 1000 tournament without its four biggest male stars. But when asked to weigh in on the withdrawals of the Big 3 and Thiem from the hardcourt event, Roberto Bautista Agut insisted that their absence was good for him and the rest of the field.
“The Big 3 plus Thiem will not play in Miami, which is good for us players who instead entered the draw,”Bautista Agut quipped. “Even if tennis is a very balanced sport and anyone can beat you.”