Can Federer Capture the French?

By Paulie Knep
Love of Sports Correspondent

The tennis grand slam season is about to get underway, and the reigning king of the courts finds his career at a crossroads.

With victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, Roger Federer can cement his legacy as the greatest of all-time, while an early exit from the two tournaments would fuel speculation of his demise.

Since securing the world’s #1 ranking in February of 2004, Federer’s dominated men’s tennis as few have before. His all-around game and cool demeanor has created an aura of invincibility around him.

By every objective standard, Federer’s one of the most exceptional players to ever step foot on a court. His ongoing record of 224 consecutive weeks as the #1 ranked player crushes the previous mark held by Jimmy Connors of 160. He’s tied with Roy Emerson for the second most grand slam titles, with 12, trailing only Pete Sampras’s 14, and he’s equaled Bjorn Borg’s record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles.

One could argue that if Federer hung up his racket tomorrow, he’d go down the greatest tennis player of all-time. But it would be just that, an argument.

Sampras can lay claim to that title with his the 14 grand slams, as can Rod Laver, the only player to win all four grand slam tournaments in one calendar year twice. Others, such as Borg and Bill Tilden, could make a strong case as well.

As stellar as Federer’s career has been, there’s one glaring omission from his resume: the French Open. Like Sampras, Connors and John McEnroe before him, Federer hasn’t been able to conquer the clay courts at Roland Garros.

He won three of tennis’ four majors in the same year three times (2004, 2006 and 2007), with just the French standing in his way of the hallowed Grand Slam.

The French Open is significant to Federer’s legacy not only because it’s one of the four major tournaments, it represents his ability to slay the competition on all surfaces. He’s already asserted his dominance on grass and hard court.

Over the past three years, Federer’s advanced to the French Open final twice and the semifinal once, losing all three times to the one man who seems to have his number: Rafael Nadal. Nadal defeated him again this week at the Hamburg Masters Series and has a 10-6 career record against him. He’ll likely have to defeat his arch nemesis in order to win the French Open this year as well.

The Swiss champion enters this week’s tournament with an unfamiliar degree of uncertainty surrounding his game. He played his worst tennis in several years during the first few months of 2008. He lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open to upstart Novak Djokovic in straight sets, ending his record string of 10 consecutive grand slam final appearances, and subsequently fell to lesser quality opponents such as Andy Murray and Mardy Fish.

In March, Federer revealed that mononucleosis had sapped him of his energy over the previous months. If he were 21 or 22 years old, his start to 2008 would likely be written off as a product of the illness or a slump, but he turns 27 this summer and speculation is mounting that his game is slipping.

In a sport which places a premium on quickness and endurance, 27 is the dawn of old age. Many of the sport’s champions have burned out mentally in their mid-20s, succumbing to the grind of the Tour and pressure to remain #1. Just last week, Justine Henin-Harden, the top-ranked woman in the world, retired at the age of 25, saying her heart wasn’t in it anymore.

It’s difficult to become #1, but it’s even more difficult to stay there. Every player on Tour’s gunning for your spot, and losing a half step or a momentary lapse in focus can lead to a swift fall from grace.

When a dominant player begins to lose his grip on the top spot the first thing that goes is his air of invincibility. After several losses this season, the mighty Federer seems somewhat vulnerable. Nadal, Djokovic and others have their sites on the throne, and this could be Federer’s last great opportunity to win the French.

However, the true test as to whether Federer’s still on top of his game will come next month at tennis’ oldest and most prestigious tournament: Wimbledon.

In the 2007 Wimbledon final, Nadal challenged Federer at the All England Club as nobody had in years, pushing him to five sets. It was eerily similar to the way McEnroe closed the gap between Borg and the rest of the field in their epic five-set thriller in 1980, the last of Borg’s five titles.

The following year, McEnroe ended Borg’s streak by defeating him in the finals. Within months, Borg walked away from tennis at the age of 25. Nadal may be ripe to dethrone Federer just the same.

If Federer’s able to obtain a sixth consecutive Wimbledon crown, he’ll put to rest the speculation of his demise and add another distinction to his historic career. If he fails to win the tournament he’s dominated for years, it may be confirmation that his best days are behind him.

Regardless of how Federer performs at the French Open and Wimbledon, his legacy is secure. He’ll be remembered as one of, if not the, greatest players to ever pick up a racket. However, he also has the opportunity to distinguish himself among the pantheon of the sport’s elite as the undisputed greatest player of all-time.

If he conquers the French and wins a sixth consecutive Wimbledon, there will be no argument.