Unlike his main rivals, Federer, who won his last Grand Slam in 2018 at Melbourne Park, opted out of the inaugural ATP Cup to spend more time with his family before launching his 22nd season on Tour.
The third seed's pre-tournament news conference was dominated by questions about the ongoing bushfires in Australia and the role of the top men's players on the air quality issue during the tournament.
"And I'm playing Steve Johnson, by the way, for those who care," a smiling Federer told reporters. "I don't know, I figured that's why I'm in Australia, but that's okay."