When Roger Federer suffered a shocking second round loss in Madrid last week, many wondered if all that time he took off after Indian Wells actually did more harm than good. Was this was merely a glimpse at what would soon become of the former dominant Swiss player.

There’s no doubt that Federer is still a good player. The bigger question is whether or not he can be a greatplayer again. He’s gotten older since his lengthy reign as the world no. 1 and he’s played less to focus on his family, but does that mean that he’ll have to make the decision between family and career in order from him to succeed anymore? Not necessarily.

While I don’t think Roger will ever be the incredible player he was a few years ago (especially with Djokovic, Murray, and Nadal showing more fight than ever), I do think he can still be great. Will he become the top ranked player again? Probably not. But at 31 his priorities are different. He’s a family man. And what once was the most important thing in the world to him 5 or 6 years ago just doesn’t seem to be as vital compared to his two little girls.

Sure, the loss in Madrid was a surprise. But let’s not jump to assumptions and say that this one loss is what his future holds. Roger Federer is and always will be one of the greatest players to ever play this game – and that’s not something one should easily forget.

1. 10sBalls.com says:

   May 17, 2013 at 8:17 am

   Can Federer Ever Regain His Dominant Status? – https://archive.10sballs.com/?p=85941