Federer king of grass again?

As we count down to Wimbledon, there’s a question on most people’s minds: Can Roger Federer do it again? Can he conquer the unpredictable conditions of Wimbledon and defeat all his rivals?

It seems that this is a year that takes us back 5, maybe even 10 years, when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominated tennis. Federer took the opening grand slam of the year, silencing critics who had said that he was too old, while Nadal destroyed his competitors at Roland Garros, where Federer was absent.

Realistically, it has been a strange year for tennis. Djokovic and Murray have been out of sorts and Federer and Nadal have taken full advantage. In that respect, there are many factors to consider before we hand Federer the Wimbledon trophy. A lot depends on the form of Djokovic and Murray. At their best, they proved last year that they slightly edged Federer and Nadal in terms of strength and athleticism. While Federer’s sheer brilliance gets him out of many jams, Djokovic seemingly had all the answers in the last few Wimbledon finals they met. It was especially favourable to Djokovic the longer the match went on due to his greater endurance.

What about Nadal?

Federer has proven at the Australian Open that when they’re both playing well, he can beat his arch rival, probably even more so on grass. It would all depend on Federer’s conversion of break points and his playing on big points. That has been one segment of his game that has let him down throughout his career. In this last year, he appears to have matured in that respect as well and doesn’t seem as phased anymore by the pressure.

Does Federer face a threat from any of the young guns?

Truth be told, the younger players don’t seem ready to beat Federer in a best-of-five scenario, at least not in the end stages of a tournament. However, were Federer to meet an in-form Kyrgios or some other rising star in the first few rounds, it could be a completely different story. Even though Federer doesn’t make a habit of going out early in Wimbledon, an inspired and younger rising star could potentially be dangerous. Federer will have to be on his toes early on in the tournament because he is the man to beat and everyone will want to be the one to do it. The other players who could pose a potential threat are Thiem and Zverev, however, they will be seeded quite highly and Federer will avoid them in the first few rounds.

What about some of his old acquaintances?

There could be danger lurking for Federer in the form of some other players. Last year, he was ousted by Raonic, who is always dangerous on fast surfaces with his huge serve and groundstrokes. Stan Wawrinka is always a contender if he makes it past the first few rounds and probably one of the hardest hitters on the circuit now. The problem for Federer there is that Wawrinka can outhit him on both wings and perhaps serve as well. Other possible upsets could come in the form of big-serving Marin Cilic, whom Federer barely beat last year, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and perhaps even Frenchman Joe-Wilfred Tsonga, though he seems rather lethargic lately on the tennis court.

While the dangers are clear and present for Federer, he must still be considered a favourite and if he plays his best game, he is the most suitable candidate to lift his 8th Wimbledon trophy.