Is this the beginning of the end for Federer?

Question

I have tons of respect for the guy and he is still amazing, but clearly not as dominant as before. I'm not saying he is gonna hit rock bottom or anything, I still think he will win more than 14 grand slams, but is the Wimbledon loss a sign of his decline?

Answer 1

Federer still has a few years left. I see him either tying Sampras' record or ending his career with 15-16 Grand Slams. I don't think he'll ever get the career slam, not with Nadal in the mix. I don't see Federer ever winning all four slams in a year again either. '06 and '07 were his best shots to get all four. That was when most the 'young guns' were still getting started.

However, now you have Nadal, Djokovic, and a few others to probably watch like Murray and Gasquet, who are all improving by leaps and bounds. They're a few years younger and have gained a bit of the experience needed to do well in the big tournaments. They're going to make it tough for both Federer and themselves.

Really, it seems that it's not that Federer's game has declined, but rather, the games of the guys under him have all improved greatly. It's going to be a lot tougher for Federer to remain on top. He'll probably lose his #1 ranking before next year's Wimbledon. But even if he slips down a few spots, that doesn't mean he still won't be a threat.

Look at Safin. He used to be #1 years and years ago. He's had a few poor years. And yet he took out Djokovic in the 2nd round of Wimbledon. He went all the way to the semi-finals to face Federer. Former #1's are dangerous. They know what it's like to be on top, to be the best. And they usually want it back.

Answer 2

God, I hope not. That guy is HOT!

Answer 3

win 14 grand slams sorry denied not possible anymore not if nadal's the last one he has to play in the championship to get it. Federer's getting scared of nadal and he should be nadal's thirsty for that #1 slot and he's going to get it

Answer 4

he has been doing soo well and i really feel sorry for the guy.. so many people expect im to win every event and he physically cant

he had only lost the Australian open, French Open and Wimbledon.. it doesn't mean he can redeem himself with the US open...

but Nadal is a great player and he has worked really hard and he deserves the Wimbledon win...

=D

Answer 5

It's more a sign of Nadal's improvement.  Federer's only 26.  He's a long way from through.  I think it's also a matter of 'fire in the belly' more than declining skills.  If he still has the desire, at his age, he'll still excel.

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

yeah i agree it is more of a wake-up call to federer who has more or less been coasting for the past 4 years, despite nadal winning roland garros during this time. did you hear the roar of the crowd when he accepted the runners-up trophy? same if not louder than that for nadal. and when he said "i'll be back next year" -  they loved that. no, this man has years left. remember, sampras won wimbledon at 29, beating others like agassi and much younger up and coming players like hewitt, and federer is widely regarded as being better than sampras

Answer 8

Roger said he thought if it went to 5 sets he would win -

that's dangerous talk -

more than any-one Federer knows he has to fight for every point - at that is what Nadal did -

Mentally Nadal knew how he would play if the match went to 5 sets - last year Nadal was shattered when he lost -

and this year Federer is tasting the bitter taste of being No2.

As a Leo/ Rooster/4 there are all sorts of reasons Federer will not enjoy being the runner-up. If he doesn't get depressed and go into a fud for longer than a week, I predict good things for Federer at the US.

But Nadal at the moment He's a weapon- and I'm not referring just to the Arm.

Answer 9

this is not the end, and im a nadal fan...did you see how tough it was for nadal against federer.

REMEMBER...this is the first time he's been beaten in the championship..so he's still got sum gas left in the tank

Answer 10

The sign has shown from the beginning of 2008, losing the Aussie to Djokovic. Finalist at Monte Carlo,Hamburg,the French, and the Wimbledon.  These are the tell-tell signs of his decline. He might win a couple of more Slams here & there. So,he could end Sampra's history.

Answer 11

No, he's still #1

Answer 12

End as in not being a shoe-in to win the Wimbledon before the tournament even starts? Sure

Decline as in not winning another Gran Slam? ABSOLUTELY NOT! He is an incredible tennis player and will break the 14 GS record. Come on. He's Roger!

Answer 13

I think Federer needs (to quote John McEnroe) to become match tough. He's had it too easy for too long although that's not his fault admittedly.

Just like Djokovic at the Australian Open, Nadal made him fight for every point. Federer just isn't used to being challenged like this (off clay).

He needs a tougher underbelly. How many break points did he waste?

Answer 14

Federer was too busy arranging for celebrities to sit in his players box. His mind is not on the job. He is a great player but i don't think he will be best of all time. He is easy to beat once you work his game out. The reason he has been successful is because Agassi and Sampras retired. If he was around the mid 90s, he would have been a great player but would have been on the same level as Agassi and Sampras. I don't think he would have dominated. In the current era there were no established stars and all new players were intimidated.

All you have to do to beat Federer is play from the base line and rally. Play to his backhand, Federer has trouble changing direction during a rally. If you watched the final that's all Nadal did all Final. I agree with you i think he may win a few more Grand Slams but i think his best days are behind him. Nadals victory will give alot of young players confidence. Federer not having a coach has added to his decline

Answer 15

Did you see the quality of tennis he played on Sunday?

"The Swiss is too motivated, too talented, too strong, too fit, too professionally organized and too proud to give up working toward winning the biggest titles,"

Answer 16

It is. Nadal and Djokovic are moving up in the rankings, and Federer just can't compete with their youth.

Answer 17

This is not "the beginning of the end" but it is a wake up call for Federer.  He's had a rough year of illness, recovery and raising his game as other younger players have matured.  He will certainly surpass Sampras' 14 Grand Slams; however, you have to think that a player like Nadal (at 22 years of age) has the potential to surpass Sampras and even Federer in the number of Grand Slams won.  Next year holds a clean slate for everyone, and it will most likely be one with Federer and others being dominant (Nadal, Djokovic and possibly one or two other players), which is good for the sport.