Roger Federer has completed a tremendous comeback in 2017. Most likely, he will finish the year as the world No. 2. The only unknown part is how big the gap between him and Rafael Nadal will be. But, that comes as a footnote with Federer showing zero interest into getting that world No. 1 mark on his side. The first few months of 2018 will put him in a tough position with so many stunning results to defend.
Aged 36, Federer had his closing argument at an ATP 500 event held in his hometown Basel in Switzerland. Scoring a third win over Juan Martin del Potro this year, Federer clinched his eighth title there while avenging that fourth set loss from the 2017 US Open.
His final appearance is set to mark a glorious end of the 2017 season as Federer aims for another ATP World Tour Finals title and the first one of its kind since 2011.
Roger Federer handed the year's end world No. 1 to Rafael Nadal
Although he leads the Spaniard by 4-0 in head to head this year, Roger Federer saw his bid to reach the world No. 1 reaching a premature end. Nadal and Federer took turns at claiming the biggest titles of the year, but the Spaniard has the upper hand due to a great deal of consistency.
It could have been a monstrous comeback story but some tend to forget that Roger Federer has skipped the entire clay court swing. That chunk of the ATP regular season includes three Masters 1000 events and the French Open.
For the mighty Swiss superstar, those were calculated risks. He traded off some big point chances to add up to his longevity. Thus, the inability to gather more points should be seen as part of the deal he made with himself.
Ranked second in the world, Federer has reached the milestone number seven in terms of titles won in 2017.
Overall, he now has 95 titles won throughout the entire career which makes his the second best of this category. The 100 milestone is now within reach distance.
Roger Federer tells a story of greatness
The season Roger Federer had in 2017 can be easily compared to one of those he used to deliver while in his prime, a decade ago.
Reinventing himself in such a stunning manner, he can stay relevant for few more years. And with that smart-scheduling and longevity-oriented approach at the core, he can achieve other great things too.
With 19 Grand Slam under his belt and a whole more in other compartments too, Roger Federer has a place granted amongst the greatest figures of sports in general, and the best seat in the house when it comes to tennis. And the good news is that the debates revolving around his possible retirement from tennis are gone.
