French Open: Roger Federer practices on clay courts
For four years supporters have longed for Federer to return to the famous Parisian clay to try and break Rafael Nadal’s dominance.
At the grand age of 37, many thought it may be too late for Federer to be seen one final time at Roland Garros.
But he confirmed his appearance earlier this year and returned to Court Philippe-Chatrier to practice with Diego Schwartzman this afternoon.
The Swiss star cruised to a 6-3 victory during their one-set encounter, which came after 75 minutes of practice.
Related articles
The first round of the tournament gets underway next week and the world No 3 will be hoping for a favourable draw.
Supporters are keen to see how he gets on and judging by his first practice session back in Paris, there is plenty still left in the tank.
The French Open tweeted a video of Federer training with the caption: "It's like he never left.
“@rogerfederer was back on Court Philippe-Chatrier this morning in preparation for his first Roland Garros tournament in 4 years.”
Related articles
And fans were jubilant with seeing their hero back in action.
“Welcome back God of tennis,” one supporter wrote.
And another added: “Second best clay court player ever.”
A further user commented: “Oh, Roger! How I waited for this moment. Good luck.”
Related articles
And another fan wrote: “Roger in Paris. It's a pleasure.”
The French Open draw takes place at 6pm (BST) on Thursday.
And Federer knows he will be in the same half as either Novak Djokovic or Nadal.