Rumors that Roger Federer could be close to a retirement from tennis might be more than that soon. Talks of Roger Federer and a retirement from tennis seem odd when you consider that he is only 29-years-old, but in the world of professional tennis, 29 is actually considered pretty old. With recent struggles at the French Open and Wimbledon, it has fans and analysts alike talking about how Roger Federer might be on the down slope of his career, and that the time where Federer was considered the best tennis player on the planet has now passed.
The Swiss born Roger Federer is already one of the most successful tennis players to take the court professionally. In reality, he has nothing left to prove to the world, and if he retired tomorrow night, he would still be considered by many as the greatest player to ever play the game. Through the 2010 Wimbledon tournament, Federer owned 62 singles titles and eight doubles titles, placing him sixth all time in terms of most titles won on the courts. The most remarkable number though, is the 16 Grand Slam titles he has, presenting him with one of the most amazing trophy cases imaginable.
During his career, Federer has won the Australian Open four time, Wimbledon six times, the U.S. Open five times, and the French Open once. He also has a nice gold medal from the 2008 Summer Olympics where he played men’s doubles. Maybe adding one more French Open title, which would push him to two or more victories at every Grand Slam location, could be one final way to put his stamp on the world of tennis. Maybe he also has other goals that he wishes to accomplish before he walks away from the game, but he has fallen from the No. 1 ranking he held for so long, and entering July 2010 he will be No. 3 ranked in the world.
To say that Roger Federer is close to retirement at this point is to slightly marginalize his talent on the court. He is still one of the 10 best tennis players in the world, no matter what type of court he is playing on. He isn’t as dominating as he once was, but that also doesn’t mean he can’t win a few more Grand Slam titles before he walks away from the game. Is that good enough for one of the greatest players of all time? Or will getting upset in early round of major tournaments send him on a path to retirement, because he won’t be living up to his own personal standards. The world of men’s tennis is at a crossroads right now, and the next year could usher in a new era of who will control the rankings.
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