Editor’s Note: The following has been prepared for us by one of our partners, Sport Surfaces, and was created by Paul Gold.
If you go by the words of some of the best critics and pundits in the world of tennis, one thing you have to admit – Roger Federer, for sure, is one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. According to many, he is, in fact, the best men’s tennis player ever. His records do speak for him. Federer is till now the male player with:
• Maximum Grand Slam titles
• Most appearances in Grand Slam finals
• Most appearances in consecutive Grand Slam finals (10), semi finals (23), and quarter finals (36)
Yet, these do not seem to be enough to silence the critics, especially when his performances dip. This had been the case for the last few years for Federer, who seems to have reached the twilight of his career.
The Year 2013 – One of His Worst Recent Seasons
Federer’s 2013 season was marred by a sharp decline in form. It was primarily because of the severe back injuries that threatened to cut short his career. He slipped as many as five places in ATP rankings, dropping to seventh, his lowest ranking in the last 11 years. The year brought even more bad news for him; his run of appearing in 36 Grand Slam quarter final appearances ended with a second round defeat at the Wimbledon.
However, there may be a silver lining.
It was not the end of the story. It is never easy to write off someone who has as many as 17 Grand Slam titles under his belt. Roger Federer proved that yet again. The injury during 2013 turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him. It kept him out for quite some time during the year. Thus, he was able to get some rest, which helped him bounce back. He emerged winner at the Dubai Tennis Championship, which helped him continue his streak of winning at least one title every year since 2001.
Big Four becoming the Dominant Three?
The win at the Dubai Tennis Championship might seem to be a silver lining for Federer. Still everything does not seem much rosy anymore. One thing is for sure – Federer’s importance among the Big Four of Men’s Tennis, comprising Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic other than him, is gradually diminishing. In fact, his unimpressive performance against the Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray in recent years has lead critics believe that the Big Four is gradually heading towards a Dominant Three. Add to this Federer’s fall in rank, which has also led critics to consider him outside the current major players.
Declining Performance against the Next-rung Players
During the last few seasons, Roger Federer had been facing defeats at the hands of some of the players outside the Big Four as well. Losses to a
number of players, such as Tomas Berdych, Julien Benneteau, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, or Juan Martin Del Potro, who are much behind him in rank, is more significant in the aspect of Federer’s waning career graph. And it can be said, that his decline in form against the next-rung players might be the signal for the end of an outstanding career.
Roger Federer had spent a major part of his career at the numero uno position of men’s tennis. He occupied the number one spot for a record 302 weeks which included 237 consecutive weeks at a stretch between 2004 and 2008. However, just as everything good has its end, so will be the case of Federer’s playing career. He has already entered the twilight of his career. Hence, the frequent ups and downs in his form might not help to forecast anything. Yet, keeping in mind his age and the time for which he has been playing, it can be said that an outstanding return may not be on the cards.
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