Expectations of the Big Four in 2018 - Roger Federer

Roger Federer’s 2017 was sublime - a thing of beauty that even the great master couldn’t have foreseen. Having not won a grand slam title since Wimbledon 2012 nobody was prepared for the form he hit, the titles he took and the age at which he was clearly peaking yet again. It wasn’t just tennis, it was art, it was solution, it was a relief for his huge army of followers and the man himself, who had known he loved tennis enough to stay around and work on how to punch at his previous weight. It was a spectacular year. Along with Rafael Nadal, the best two players tennis has ever seen shared a golden year of unfathomable success, even playing doubles together for the same team (Europe) at the Laver Cup. They won two slams apiece on their returns from injury and in the absence of some of the other best players in the world.

Expecting the same of Federer as he heads towards his 37^th birthday later in 2018 might be a stretch, but Djokovic, Murray and others may have their work cut out returning and quickly finding solutions for Federer’s more aggressive game. He keeps points short, his serve is as reliable as ever and he attacks where before he waited for something to happen. He has found a way to get older and make his tennis as effective as ever, so his body doesn’t get worn and he can play at a level that simply overwhelms most, whether they be near the top of the game or a good decade or so younger. It’s clever tennis, again a delight to watch.

At some stage Federer’s body will no longer last and keep up with the younger players, as tennis becomes more physical, more mental, more strategic than ever before. That point may be in a few months, a year or a couple of years. With the recent success of 2017, you would expect it to propel him into the new year and beyond with high confidence and the feeling that Djokovic and Murray can be overcome, as they return to the game and seek the form that won them both grand slams in recent years. Federer won’t fear anyone and if he does find his groove, well, it’s more than possible he can retain his Australian Open title. Beyond that, well, it’s anyone’s guess, and perhaps he should never, ever be counted out, not while he is still playing and not after his incredible return to his previous heights after almost half a decade without a slam to his name. Roger Federer is one of a kind. 2018 should be another fascinating chapter, whatever happens.

First published on tennisworldusa.org