Throughout the current season (except for the clay court swing) Roger Federer set a brand new standard in men's tennis, a surreal milestone that no one thought would be possible. But the Swiss reduced all the previous suppositions to dust by winning two Grand Slam events in a matter of months.
Now, with Wimbledon done and dusted and owned by Roger Federer, the herd will pack its bags to cross the Atlantic Ocean as the North American leg on hardcourt is soon approaching. And, of course, Federer is expected to increase his numbers over there. There is only one Grand Slam left in the bidding zone and Federer is a favorite to seize it.
What U.S. Open Series could bring to Federer
Ranked 3rd in the ATP rankings, Roger Federer has a shot to reach the world no. 1 spot for a fourth time in his career. But that will depend on the level of commitment during the U.S. Open Series. His ranking scored a huge improvement given the fact that he was ranked 17th back in January. So far, he gathered seven tournaments under his belt by winning five of them. Overall, he is 31-2 in the win/ loss counter.
Usually, as a warm-up for the U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, Federer chooses the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati as a playground. This Masters 1000 event is the most successful of its kind for Federer as the Swiss player is a seven-time champion there.
Last year, he skipped the event due to his knee injury and the title landed in Marin Cilic's pocket. There is one other big event prior to the U.S.Open that Federer could put on his map - The Canadian Master. It is not a regular event for him but you never know.
Can Federer win another U.S. Open?
On the other hand, the US Open is the primary goal in the next months.
With nothing to defend from last year, he will accumulate more and more points. In the past, the U.S. Open crown landed in Federer's lap five times in a row between 2004-2008. It's been almost nine years since his last success at Flushing Meadows even though he made it to other two finals. Back in 2009, he lost to Juan Martin del Potro while in 2015 Djokovic was too strong for him.
Now, the odds put him in front as the competition seems less fierce than it used to be. Murray and Djokovic are dealing with injuries and only Rafael Nadal seems able to push Federer to the edge.
After the U.S. Open, the schedule may include two or three events. Shanghai and Paris might be on the list while the ATP 500 event in Basel is probably on the table. And of course, the show will end with the ATP Finals where Federer has already earned his spot by winning Wimbledon.
