The Emperor’s dilemma – Roger Federer’s battle against time

After years of playing with a 90” stick, Federer has recently started to experiment with a 98”. Racket changes are a mighty challenge even for men in their prime, so it will be very interesting to see how Federer fares with the new package.

Will he be able to find some insurance in the larger sweet spot or will the lack of feeling for the new racket hurt him even more? There are questions the answers to which are awaited impatiently not just by Federer, but also an entire army of international fans.

It is fascinating though to watch Federer live through this phase of recalibration. The tennis circuit is a maddening circus and the fact that a prolific player like Federer even retains the taste for pursuit is a thing to marvel at. In the coming weeks and months, we will experience the thrill of watching Federer explore the depths of his intriguing neural networks to try and discover a way out his current slump.

Just for perspective, it is indeed amazing that the great man is even willing to take up this exercise in painful exploration at this stage in his illustrious career.

We ought to enjoy the journey – because Federer is going to try and find ways to improve his serve, which is no longer the weapon it was; gain consistency off his lyrical backhand – he has been trying to pick the ball off earlier than in the past to get the bounce out of the equation; and finally, get the rhythm back on his divinely aesthetic forehand. Whether he eventually decides to try and do all of this with a new racket or his tested 90” is something that even Federer might struggle to answer immediately.

In a season where the veteran genius has managed to win just a single title, things might only get worse before turning sweeter, if at all. If Federer does not turn up in Cincinnati next week to defend his title, he will likely drop further down the ladder, possibly to seventh.

It is going to get increasingly harder for the serial winner to string together three physically demanding performances against the likes of Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to find his 18th Major.

It is appearing more and more likely that Federer will invest the rest of this season to relearn certain aspects of his game and make the adjustments necessary to deal with his ageing body and the brutal power of some of his opponents.

The Swiss maestro is faced with sudden and stark choices – whether to reinvent and discover new methods to prolong his career, or tread the tested path and walk away quietly into the darkness of winter.

It isn’t an easy choice to make, but it is one that will define the final chapter of his glorious career.