Pete Kiehart for The New York Times
On clay, Roger Federer can win, even if he loses. Ranked No. 3 in the world, he has already put distance between himself and his nearest opponents on the ATP list without getting past the quarterfinals in any clay-court tournament.
This season Federer, 37, returned to clay-court competition for the first time since 2016. He had stayed away to preserve his aging body for the grass and hardcourt seasons, where he has a better chance at capturing Grand Slam titles. This year he decided that his body could handle the toll and that he wanted the challenge of adapting to the style and tactics required by clay.