Roger Federer had an emphatic start in 2018, maybe even better than most of us expected from the Swiss player. He was really pumped up right from the start which helped him to navigate through yet another outstanding Aussie campaign.
As the 36-year-old went on to defend his crown in Melbourne, the gap separating him from the ATP summit shrunk. In what was a last minute call. He accepted a wild-card into Rotterdam event knowing that an eventual presence in the semis would have granted him the No. 1 seat. He cruised past a tricky draw and he not only reached the semis, but he won the title instead dispatching Grigor Dimitrov in the final.
Roger Federer's reign wasn't meant to last
Ascending at the top of the men's tennis so late in his career is quite an achievement, but Roger Federer may have lost his appetite to pursue an all-around schedule. Some glitches cost him the title at Indian Wells, while in Miami he was stunned by the young gun, Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Due to the early exit at Key Byscaine, some hoped that he would go on and give it a try during the upcoming clay court season in Europe. But, he made it clear that the red dust is no longer part of his future schedule.
And perhaps, for the sake of longevity at least, keeping himself out of the harsh environment of the red clay is what Roger Federer needs at the moment. Of course, there is no point in denying that it would have been great to have him involved, at least for the French Open.
Still, he is expected to resume playing once the clay season reaches a conclusion. The grass court segment of the season is where his next goals reside. Moreover, he is set to defend back-to-back titles in Halle and then at Wimbledon. Last year, he made it through with a clean sheet in his pocket as he won both titles without dropping a single set.
The summer schedule, the 2018 US Open, and the Laver Cup
Assuming that no unexpected event will occur, once Roger Federer frees himself from the burden of points to defend during the grass court season, he will focus on the second leg on the North American outdoor hard. This time, he will probably choose to play at Cincinnati Masters 1000 only.
Then, with hopes of another US Open title in sight, he will travel to New York for the last Major of the season, a tournament he has won five consecutive times in the past between 2004 and 2008.
After the 2018 US Open, Federer will put in more work in trying to cement that new tournament called the Laver Cup. The second edition of this brand new tennis event will be held in Chicago.
The last segment of the calendar doesn't necessarily mean that Roger Federer's schedule will be light. He is expected to play in Shanghai as the defending champion before heading to Basel. Then, of course, the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals will be there to give a proper closing to the season of 2018. Currently No. 1 in the ATP Race, Federer is likely to qualify again for this event which gathers the first eight performers of the season at its start.
