Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas couldn’t be happier to see 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer back in action. The current World Number 5 has made no secret of his admiration for the Swiss champion and believes that watching Federer play again will help him assess his own game better.

Stefanos Tsitsipas says Roger Federer “played well” despite his loss at Qatar Open

The former World Number 1 made a much-anticipated return to competitive tennis at the ongoing Qatar Open after spending more than a year away from the game to recover from a second knee surgery. His spell on the sidelines saw him miss the bulk of tennis action last season, as well as this year’s Australian Open.

However, even as expectations soared around his comeback event, especially after the win in his tournament opener against Englishman Dan Evans, Federer bowed out after falling to a three-set loss to Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili on Thursday evening.

Though the champion lost, Tsitsipas said he “played well” and will need a few more matches under his belt to find his groove.

“Eventually I feel he’s going to get back on his feet and find his way, follow through – it just takes a few matches more,” Tsitsipas said.

Stefanos Tsitsipas says it’s a joy for the tennis community to see Federer back in action

Federer didn’t build high hopes around his comeback event and, in fact, was quoted as saying before the tournament that his personal expectations were “very low”.

However, the Greek star said it’s a “joy” not just for himself but the “tennis community” and the “Tour” to see the 39-year-old return to the competitive arena.

Calling the Swiss a “source of inspiration”, Tsitsipas said that watching the veteran in action will help him get a sense of where his game is at currently and where it needs to go.

He conceded that while he may never be able to play at Federer’s level, it was always nice to watch, admire and learn. “I’ll never be able to reach his level but still feel it’s something that I can look up to and admire, which is really nice,” the Greek World Number 5 said.

Read More: “Extremely Low”: Roger Federer Talks About His Expectations at Qatar Open 2021

The Swiss player took the opening set on Thursday before the hard-hitting Georgian fought back to win the next two and sent him out of the tournament.