World No. 6 Federer wants to stay competitive with Djokovic and Nadal

Roger Federer says he is concentrating on his level of play rather than his ranking as he gears up for the rest of the season.

Federer's ranking has dropped to No. 6 following a fourth-round defeat the Australian Open, but he would prefer to be winning against No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal rather than ranked in front of them.

"But the idea for me is to be in good health, to know that I can win tournaments, to know that I can beat them," he was quoted as saying during a promotional appearance for Laver Cup in Geneva. "If my ranking goes down, that's not a problem."

The 20-time Grand Slam champion is next scheduled for a three-event run at Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami, before returning to clay-court play for the first time since 2016.

Federer, who has been hitting in Switzerland, confirmed that his plans have not changed. "I'm training for Dubai," he said.

Federer could drop another ranking spot following next week's ATP event in Rotterdam, where he is the the defending champion.

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