Winning his 20th Grand Slam singles title put Roger Federer at the top of this year's ranking and shortly behind the current world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. While the euphoria caused by Federer's stunning delivery has started to fade away, the aim is locked on the next moves he's most likely to pursue.
There is a certain lightness regarding big ATP tennis events during February, and the 36-year-old Swiss Tennis star might want to avoid getting involved in too many unnecessary endeavors. Therefore, there are almost zero chances to have Federer competing in Rotterdam or Dubai, two ATP 500 events he has also dominated in the past.
Sunshine Double and another dose of potential success on American outdoor hard
Last year, coming after a six-month hiatus from tennis meant that no one took Federer seriously, at least not at the start. Then, the 2017 Australian Open saw his spell spread all over the Melbourne Park surroundings. Even so, many still thought that it was a one-time happy accident and the ATP 500 in Dubai seemed to have proved the point. After an unexpected loss to a player listed outside of the top 100, Federer bounced back to outplay any particular opposition in Indian Wells and Miami. Two more successes over Nadal made it clear that the Swiss has returned and has an agenda of his own.
Now, the 'Sunshine Double' is probably where Federer will try to prolong the momentum.
Winning the Australian Open for the sixth time made Federer reinstall his reign. Basically, over a twelve months span, he won three out of five Majors.
Next month, he is expected to resume action deep in the hot Californian desert at Indian Wells. He will try to defend last year's success. The second leg of the 'Sunshine Double' will be held at Key Biscayne, in Florida where Federer outlasted Nadal back in 2017.
No European dirt on Federer's shoes
Back in 2017, Federer took a long vacation after completing the 'Sunshine Double.' Therefore, he skipped the entire clay court swing including the French Open. It was a bold decision with Federer putting strong momentum on hold. Still, he was able to bounce back and complete a surreal grass court session.
Federer won back to back titles in Halle and then at Wimbledon, doing that without dropping a single set was a truly amazing achievement.
Now, for the 2018 season, Federer might want to follow a well-known script, and if the clay court swing is the price to pay, he should pursue this scenario. From all appearances, it seems that Federer has decided to end any sort of relationship with the European clay.
Avoiding the mistakes of the previous year
The summer of 2017 saw Federer chasing down the world No. 1 spot. Travelling to Canada for the Rogers Cup turned out to be a less successful decision. A back injury hampered his efforts and forced him to skip Cincinnati. At the 2017 US Open, he survived two five-setters in the first two rounds, but he saw his bid terminated in the quarterfinals.
For 2018, if all goes according to plan, the summer swing on the hard court should consist of Cincinnati and the US Open only. Keeping it short and sweet is what brings success into Federer's backyard. Moreover, the Swiss superstar can bid for a sixth win at the US Open too. It would be something amazing to win it ten years after his last triumph there.
