Roger Federer, who owns 17 Grand Slam titles, says that 13-time major champion Rafael Nadal may some day break his record.
"Yeah, absolutely," Federer told reporters prior to the Dubai tournament. "But the good thing is I am still playing and my goal is to add more titles to my count—and not just Grand Slam titles. I love any tennis tournament I play in and Dubai is an important tournament for me."
Dubai is Federer’s first ATP tournament since he lost to Nadal in the Australian Open semis; he did play Davis Cup in early February. The 32-year-old says staying healthy will be key to his success.
"I am playing top tennis," he said. "For me it’s just a matter of staying healthy, staying consistent and getting to semis and finals. I feel as if I’m in as good a shape as I have been for a year, so that’s very encouraging. I feel my best tennis is around the corner. I know I’ve said that a few times, but this time I really feel it’s the case. I have zero pain and spent a very encouraging month in Dubai training in December. I am confident for the year ahead."