A poor start to the tennis season due to glandular fever would not distract Roger Federer from trying to achieve the remainder of his goals for the year, the world number one said.

Federer, who was effected by the condition earlier this year, failed to retain his Australian Open title in January and came away empty-handed from Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Miami.

He won his first title of the year last week at the Estoril Open and is in Monaco for the Monte Carlo Masters this week.

"Some people don't understand how extraordinary the last four years have been," Federer, who has been number one since 2004, told La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview on Wednesday.

"I can't be finished in February when I had won the Masters Cup in November. Now I'm well.

"I had glandular fever at the start of the year but I wanted to play anyway because I have lots of goals and they are all important.

"Winning my first Roland Garros, my sixth Wimbledon title, the Olympics and beating Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slams," he added of his goals for the rest of the year.

Reuters