The year that was: Where do we go from here, Federer?

The same question again? How did we come here in just under a year? From the soaring heights of a Grand Slam victory to the depths of defeat in an ATP 500 event? The only possible explanation is that that maybe, finally, we have come to a point where he simply isn’t the best tennis player on the tour at present. Greatest of all times? Yes, surely. Greatest in 2013? Not quite.

Is age catching up with him?

The biggest reason for this is the most natural of all – age. Federer is days away from 32 years of age (August 8th is his birthday). Rafael Nadal is 27, Novak Djokovic is 26, as is Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet are both 27, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Stanislas Wawrinka are both 28 and Juan Martin Del Potro is only 24. Of the current Top 10, David Ferrer is the only player above 30 years of age. (Of these, only Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Del Potro have won a Grand Slam)

The sport of tennis has evolved tremendously in the past few years, it is not just textbook technique & grace that can get you through, speed, power & stamina are more crucial than ever now. The recent Wimbledon finals bearing testimony to the fact, where two pairs of 26-year old legs were tired by the time the marathon 4+ hours finals were done.

It is akin to the backhand shot – the classic one-handed backhand becomes a rarity as the more potent two-handed backhand gains importance. Similarly, gone are the times where Federer’s adroitness was the deciding factor in matches, it is agility & athleticism that is foremost to the craft today, something that a 31-year old would difficult to adapt to at this stage of his career.

That being said, it would be most unwise to write Federer off. This is the man who turned the tide in tennis in the 2000s by the sheer force of the number of his achievements, taking over every milestone there was, to be considered greater than McEnroe, Sampras, Laver, Emerson, Agassi. This is the man who spent 300 weeks as the World No. 1 with 17 Grand Slams and 77 ATP Titles, an Olympic Gold & Silver, but most importantly an unmatched passion & precision for tennis.

So where do we go from here? While Roger Federer goes to play the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open, Gstaad, we, Federer fans have already skipped ahead to the US Open. In the hope & faith that we will be redeemed in the final Grand Slam of the year.

Personally, if Roger Federer bounces back from the terrible year, that was, to win another title, even if it is for one last time, and prove to the world, once again, that he is indeed the GOAT. One hopes that Roger Federer will once again redefine renaissance and his resurgence will inspire the Federer family once again.

We cannot know what the future holds, except the fact that Roger Federer is NOT planning to hang up his boots just as yet. As long as he plays, I will watch him & witness the poetic beauty of tennis, irrespective of victory or defeat. It is hard being a Federer fan in 2013, but then, nothing easy is worth it!