Currently ranked second in the world, Roger Federer delivered one of the greatest comebacks in tennis' history. Down to the 17th spot in the general rankings back in January, he made a surreal run soaring up the ladder. Winning two Grand Slams in the process as well as two Masters 1000 titles helped his rise quite a bit as well.
After Wimbledon, having Federer as a potential world No. 1 holder by the end of the season was back on the table as a viable option. However, he started to struggle somewhat during his North American hard court swing. Losing in the quarterfinals at the 2017 US Open gave Rafael Nadal an opening, and he went on to win his third US Open crown to secure the summit, at least for the moment.
Despite this, Roger Federer may produce his top game during the last segment of the year, and the pile of points at stake is a great incentive.
Roger Federer and a solid schedule for the upcoming two months
Two months from now, the ATP circuit will have its end in its sight. For Roger Federer, the apparent lack of luster from US Open is done and dusted as he will seek further success on the hard court. Before entering the Asian leg of the tour, he will play the Laver Cup in Prague. Then he is expected to start a bid for another title in the Shanghai Rolex Masters. The next in line is the ATP 500 event in Basel where he will return after skipping the 2016 edition. The Masters Series calendar will have a final stop in Paris, for the last big indoor event of the regular season.
After that, Nitto ATP Finals in London will mark his final stop in 2017.
If he stays healthy and his fitness level regains that unique sense of freshness, Federer can aim for big things. The opposition has yet to find some solid pillars, and Rafael Nadal has mixed feelings regarding this chunk of the schedule. Moreover, he will be in the middle of a recovery process after a complete run in New York.
Keeping a close eye on Nadal and getting ready for a hellish path in 2018
Theoretically, Federer can still finish the year as the world No. 1. While Nadal has a solid gap to protect himself from any attempt, an inspired Federer could climb up the ladder. It would be really special to have him as the world No. 1 at 36 years of age.
Even so, the luster may fade away pretty quick. Next season, the Swiss tennis star will be put in a different position as he will have to defend the results from 2017. Moreover, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Nishikori, Raonic, and Murray are expected to bounce back while the younger generation may try to finally break down the pre-existent monopoly.
