Federer gets off to a lively start in his clay return

It's the Return of the Fed-i as Roger Federer made his long-anticipated appearance on clay for the first time since 2016. He's gotten a lot done in Spain before taking the court for his first match on Tuesday.

The world No. 3 arrived early enough to play tourist to the City Council of Madrid:

He reunited with tournament legend Manolo Santana (who is the honorary president of the Mutua Madrid Open):

He also got reacquainted with the high-altitude conditions:

Though that comes with its challenges:

Back in 2016, he played Monte Carlo and Rome, but skipped Madrid. The three-time champion last made an appearance at the Spanish ATP Masters 1000 in 2015 when he lost in the first round (to Nick Kyrgios).

I don’t have high expectations in some ways, but at the same time I also know things are possible," Federer said. "But it’s been good so far."

I don’t have high expectations in some ways, but at the same time I also know things are possible," Federer said. "But it’s been good so far."