Rafael Nadal would love to add a first Miami Open presented by Itau trophy to his 69 ATP World Tour titles and continue his strong start to 2017.

The World No. 7, who plays either Dudi Sela or a qualifier in the second round, is the fifth seed in Miami. Despite the absence of World No. 1 Andy Murray and World No. 2 Novak Djokovic, Nadal said that the path to the title would still be a tough one.

“As everybody knows, the year is long and there are plenty of tournaments,” said Nadal. “Djokovic and Murray might not be here, but there are a lot of great players.”

Nadal is making his 13th appearance in Miami, where he is a four-time finalist (2005, ’08, ’10 and ’14), and is targeting another chance at glory.

“Winning Miami is not an obsession. I would love to add Miami to my CV. The opportunities are not eternal, although I hope to have more in the future,” revealed Nadal. “I had four chances and in two of them I was very close. Normally, when you have those chances you have to take them.”

Nadal arrives in Miami with a 14-4 match record for the season. At Indian Wells last week, the first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season, he reached the BNP Paribas Open fourth round, losing to eventual champion Roger Federer.

The 30 year old, aiming to capture his first hard court title since Doha in January 2014, has also reached finals at the Australian Open (l. Federer) and Acapulco (l. Querrey) in 2017.

“I feel good. I have started the year well,” said Nadal. “In every match I felt that I performed well. Now I have another chance to do it and hopefully I will be ready.”

Henri Kontinen and John Peers head into this week’s Miami Open in uncharted territory. They are the top seeds at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the first time and for Kontinen, an added incentive looms.

The 26 year old stands to become the first World No. 1 from Finland in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings should he and Peers push deep and other results fall their way. The Australian Open champions stand to make up big ground having fallen in the opening round last year (l. to Cilic/Draganja). 

Kontinen will ascend to the individual doubles top spot unless he and Peers fail to reach the semi-finals and either Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan reach the final or defending champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut reach the final.

The Finn would also be denied should he and Peers bow out in the semi-finals and either the Bryans or Herbert/Mahut go on to win the title.

The Finnish/Austraian pair opens against Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, while four-time champions, the Bryans, begin their campaign against Fabrice Martin and Marcin Matkowski. The Americans – despite having not won a ATP World Tour title since last May’s ATP Masters 1000 Rome – are still a shot at reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking. They could meet eighth-seeded Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez in the quarter-finals before a potential semi-final clash in a rematch of the Australian Open final against Kontinen/Peers.

Second-seeded Herbert/Mahut take on Brit Dominic Inglot and Romanian Florin Mergea first up with a tricky potential quarter-final match-up against BNP Paribas Open champions, fifth seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, on the cards. Brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev meet Austrian Dominic Thiem and Serbian veteran Nenad Zimonjic, with the winner likely to meet Klaasen and Ram in the second round.

Fourth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares tackle last year’s Wimbledon runners-up Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi at the first hurdle with a quarter-final clash against sixth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo projected. Kubot and Melo will need to defeat the scratch pairing of 39-year-old Tommy Haas and Lucas Pouille in the opening round.

To Kei Nishikori, everything is just about perfect at the Miami Open presented by Itau, the season’s second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday.

The tournament’s location, the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, is only a four-hour drive from where Nishikori lives and trains year-round, in Bradenton, Florida. The south Florida conditions – quick and fast – suit the aggressive Japanese player.

The only thing missing from making the Miami event perhaps Nishikori’s absolute perfect tournament has been the lack of a title. The 27 year old is searching for his first Miami crown, which he’ll try to land during the next two weeks.

“I feel very relaxed here, very open… I feel like I’m at home,” Nishikori said on Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference.

Nishikori came close to his maiden Masters 1000 title in Miami last year, falling to Novak Djokovic in the final. It was Nishikori’s second Masters 1000 title match (also 2014 Madrid). But the two weeks still served as a momentum-building tournament for Nishikori, who beat four Top 30 players, including Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios, en route to the final.

The Shimane native has rarely had a poor showing in south Florida. Of his seven prior appearances, he’s advanced to at least the fourth round five times times, including a semi-final showing in 2014 (l. to Djokovic) and a quarter-final run in 2015 (l. to Isner). “I have good memories here,” Nishikori said.

The 5’10” right-hander kicked off the 2017 Masters 1000 calendar positively last week, reaching the quarter-finals at the BNP Paribas Open (l. to Sock). “I was playing great tennis. Unfortunately I lost in the quarter-finals but still I was playing good,” he said. “My tennis is getting much better, getting more solid.”

Nishikori is the second seed in Miami. He receives a first-round bye and will face Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic or former Top 10 player Kevin Anderson in the second round.

The man with the nickname “Stanimal” faced a new question during Tuesday’s media day at the Miami Open presented by Itau: What animal would he be, given the choice?

“Depends on the day,” said Stan Wawrinka, after a pause. “I quite like a black panther.”

A panther may befit his status this week in Miami, where he is the top seed for the first time at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. Additionally, the World No. 3 is riding the confidence of a runner-up finish to countryman Roger Federer in Sunday’s BNP Paribas Open final.

“I’m really happy with the results. I was sad after the loss, but he was playing too good and it was a good final,” said Wawrinka. “I’m feeling confident with my game in general because making the final of the first Masters was great, but here it’s completely different conditions so I’ll see when I start to practise again tomorrow. Hopefully I can do a good result here.”

Wawrinka’s past two appearances on U.S. soil have resulted in final appearances, including last September’s triumph over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final, and he will be looking to advance beyond the Round of 16 for the first time on his ninth visit to Key Biscayne.

This week he opens against the winner between Gastao Elias and Horacio Zeballos, with seeded opponents in his quarter including No. 16 Alexander Zverev, No. 18 John Isner and No. 31 Feliciano Lopez. Should he get through his quarter, Wawrinka could face a rematch with two-time Miami champion Federer in the semi-finals.

“From him, nothing is a surprise anymore,” he said. “For sure to see him moving that well at that age it’s something amazing. It’s something that’s good for me, I’m turning 32 (on 28 March), to see that you can still be at the top… It’s just amazing the way he’s playing straight after a six-month injury. That was really special to win the Australian Open. I’m sure this year is going to be big for tennis.”

Wawrinka, currently behind Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in the Emirates ATP Rankings, anticipated a battle for World No. 1, with Federer making a strong push early in the season. Federer has climbed 10 spots since the start of the year, moving ahead of Rafael Nadal to No. 6 following Indian Wells.

“For sure he has a shot for No. 1,” said Wawrinka. “He won a Slam and the first Masters 1000 so for sure he has a big shot, but it’s going to be interesting to see if Rafa is playing well also. We’ll see when Andy and Novak will come back from injury, so this year will be really interesting for tennis fans.”

With age comes perspective and at 35, on the comeback from his longest stint on the sidelines, Roger Federer is playing with a renewed sense of freedom. A stunning run to the Australian Open title and then the BNP Paribas Open crown at the weekend are testament to him chanelling this ‘underdog’ confidence as he prepares a tilt at his first Miami Open title in 11 years.

The Swiss, who started the season at No. 17 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, has soared back to No. 6. A decade ago he was the reigning two-time Miami Open champion.

“At 25 I was winning 90 per cent of my matches and eventually you’re on this train where you keep rolling and expect yourself to win a lot,” Federer said. “You play many more tournaments.

“It was an incredible experience being able to play at such a high level for so long and beating so many of the guys, winning so many finals in a row. It’s definitely different, especially this year, it’s very different to any other that I’ve ever experienced, as was last year with the injury, with the age, with the comeback.

“This is very special for me. I definitely see things different today than I ever have.”

The fourth seed opens against either #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe or Russian Konstantin Kravchuk before a likely third-round clash with No. 29 seed Juan Martin del Potro, a player on a comeback trail of his own. Should that showdown eventuate, Federer will carry a 15-5 FedEx ATP Head2Head record, although the last time the pair played was the ATP Finals in 2013.

“I was very happy for him last year,” Federer said of del Potro’s return. “I was supposed to play him here and then I pulled out, which was a pity for both of us.

“The comeback was great for him. He finished top 40, won the Davis Cup, it was a dream come true for him as far as I know. I’m focused on one round earlier though.”

Sixth seed Dominic Thiem is his projected quarter-final opponent and should he live up to his seeding he could set his third clash of the season with compatriot and top seed Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals.

For now, the lone former champion in the field is relieved to back to full health. A stomach virus ruled him out ahead of his first-round clash with del Potro last year. This is the first time he will have played in Miami since 2014.

“I’m coming in with more confidence, which I prefer, of course,” Federer said. “I’m happy to be healthy this time around. Last year, I postponed the press conference three or four times because I wasn’t feeling well and then at the end it ended up not possible at all so it’s nice to be back here healthy.”

The stretch remains one of the most intense on the ATP World Tour: Four weeks. Two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments. Drastically different conditions.

At the first Masters 1000, the BNP Paribas Open, the dry heat of the desert that can befuddle even the best players. At the other, the Miami Open presented by Itau, the wretched humidity needs only minutes to turn your light T-shirt into a soaked towel.

But battle through the conditions, the tough draws and the world-class opponents, and you can walk away with one of the most impressive achievements of the season: Back-to-back Masters 1000 titles on hard courts.

Only seven players since 1991 have swept the March Masters and won back-to-back Indian Wells and Miami titles in the same year: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Marcelo Rios, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Jim Courier. Djokovic leads the elite group, having accomplished the Sunshine Double four times in his career – 2011, ’14-15-16.

Over the next two weeks, Federer will go for the Masters 1000 sweep for the third time in his 20-year career. Federer, who beat Stan Wawrinka to win the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, won Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in 2005-06.

The Swiss star, who at 35 became the oldest Masters 1000 champion on Sunday, said he thinks he’ll be feeling fresh in Key Biscayne, where he’ll be playing for the 16^th time.

“I think I’m going to be fine on that front just because I’m feeling too good on the court, and I’m having too much fun. Winning creates a lot of good energy,” said Federer, who is 13-1 on the season and has won two of the three tournaments he’s entered.

But that’s not to say Federer will walk into the Miami Open expecting the title. “I know how hard it is to win back-to-back Indian Wells and Miami titles. That’s why again I go to Miami knowing it’s going to be really difficult,” Federer said. “As we know in Masters 1000s, draws are brutal early on already. There is no warming up and playing qualifiers ranked No. 250, which even they are not easy to beat sometimes on any given day and especially in the best of three sets, the margins are small.”

In 1998, Chilean Marcelo Rios became only the fourth player to pull off the Sunshine Double. The back-to-back titles helped him reach No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The left-hander became only the 14th man in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings, since 1973, to reach the top spot.

“Winning like this and beating [Andre] Agassi in the final, the former No. 1, I can’t ask for more. It’s really, really good,” Rios said after winning the Miami title. “I feel really proud, being Chilean, to be the only one to be No. 1 in the world.”

Roger Federer welcomes the April 2017 issue of GQ magazine to his mountain top home in Switzerland to talk about his life off the court and just how much longer he feels he can pull off the impossible.

Hell, for Roger Federer, is talking about life after tennis. For years now, the questions have crept in as Federer, 35 and troubled by injuries, seemed to be drifting off the court. Reporters demanded to know: When will you stop? What comes next? Maybe a farewell tour before you wander away into the Alps? All the sporting world seemed to want, after nearly two decades of idol worship, was a forwarding address for where to send a thank-you note.

But then, a few months ago, something happened. Something extraordinary. Defying all expectations, Federer won this year’s Australian Open. His 18th major title (the most ever for a man in his sport) and his first Grand Slam in five years. Among the 18, this one was special. “Perhaps the most special,” he told me. It came after he’d taken a months-long break, his first significant time away from tennis since he was a teenager, in part because of a knee injury he’d suffered during the last Australian Open (while drawing his daughters a bath, of all things), but also because he’d been feeling worn out. So to return at his age, after no competitive matches for months, and triumph over his greatest rival, Rafael Nadal, on one of the sport’s grandest stages… The feeling was ecstasy.

It couldn’t have come at a more pivotal moment. Early in the tournament, during an on-court interview, Federer acknowledged his underdog status — reminding fans that the only thing he’d won lately was GQ’s Most Stylish Man (an online competition in which readers carried him to victory over Kanye West and Ryan Gosling). “At least I won something,” he said wryly, referring to a 14-month trophy drought—and this from a guy whose life is essentially predicated on winning, shattering records with no grunts, no sweat: 302 weeks as world number one. In many eyes, the GOAT. Still, as the 17 seed in Melbourne, he’d known he didn’t have a shot. To reach the quarterfinals would have been a success. But then it happened.

“Winning Australia, it solves so many problems,” he said. And so, feeling generous, perhaps a little insulated by success, he extended an invitation for a visit. High up at his retreat in Switzerland, just five days after the final, to talk about tennis and not-tennis, at this beginning of yet another chapter in his career. He didn’t just quiet the hecklers by winning — he changed the narrative. Millions of fans got to feel a story line shift under their feet, and Federer felt it, too. So who is he? What is he? I went to the mountains to find out, at the same time equipped with the single question he’d least want to answer, the one that keeps his fans twitching like so many addicts between hits: After all these years of pulling off the impossible, how many more could we really expect?

Read Full Piece, ‘Peak Federer.’ In April 2017 Issue

Story excerpted with permission of GQ magazine.