Roger Federer will see a lot of talking going on around him once the 2017 Us Open Tennis Championships starts. The last Grand Slam will bring the 36-year-old legend back in the spotlights as he will seek his first US Open title since 2008. Nine years after his last glorious summer in New York, he can produce some outstanding headlines at Flushing Meadows. The world No. 1 spot is also on the table as Nadal failed to put some safe distance in between. But, the Spaniard will be the No. 1 seed entering the contest while Federer will most likely be seeded third just behind Andy Murray, the former world No.
1. And there is a funny part, even a dramatic one regarding the rankings. Murray survived ahead of Federer by a thin margin as he has only five points on top of his rival. But, that will guarantee Federer less than the second slot as he might face Nadal in the semis, instead of a possible final.
A possible route at 2017 US Open
As Western & Southern Open reached its conclusion in Cincinnati having Grigor Dimitrov as the winner, the numbers will start flowing around this week. On August 25, the main draw ceremony will take place. Up until then, some few predictions or rather speculations are all that the men's tennis has on top of the ATP 250 event at Winston-Salem. Going back to Federer and his US Open bid, things can be either bad or good.
If his fitness level is in the right place, he can go all the way at Flushing Meadows.
A worst-case scenario would put Federer on a hellish road towards the higher stages. The first two rounds won't bring any seed player in the other corner of the ring, but starting from the round of 32 things may get trickier. Knowing the current ranking situation, in the third round, Federer may face David Ferrer who gave him a really hard time in Montreal, Juan Martin del Potro or perhaps Gael Monfils (2016 US Open semifinalist).
Assuming that Federer will reach the fourth round, Nick Kyrgios or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is part of the worst-case scenario. Moving forward, the quarterfinals may bring Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic or even Grigor Dimitrov at the other end of the court.
If he goes even deeper into the tournament, the last four stages may put Roger Federer on a collision course with Rafael Nadal, even though this classic matchup deserves a final act's landscape.
Alexander Zverev or Andy Murray are the other two who can make Federer's life harder. The final is a wild-guess as Federer must get through six different tests to get there.
This may be his last chance to win another Grand Slam
The ATP circuit has suffered some great losses throughout this season. Three of its most relevant players of the past few years decided to call an end to it. One by one, Djokovic, Wawrinka and just before Cincinnati Kei Nishikori pulled the plug due to various injuries and issues. As the younger generation started to soar from behind with Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios leading the pack, Federer may not have that much time left in the tank. Moreover, the climate is favorable for Federer as few players can cause trouble on a hardcourt. A five-time US Open champion in the past ( that golden winning streak between 2004-2008), Federer is looking for a sixth title in New York in what may be a perfect ending to a perfect season.
