Roger Federer: Aging Star Needs to Make Statement Before French Open

On the surface, Roger Federer's 2012 season has gotten off to a strong start. He has three championships and a 23-3 record overall. But digging deeper, it is clear that the former world No. 1 needs to do something special before the French Open starts in two weeks. 

The three titles that Federer has won so far this year are the BNP Paribas Open, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and the AMRO World Tennis Championship. 

Not to diminish Federer's accomplishments, but those aren't exactly the cream of the ATP crop. And he has defeated good players along the way, including Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, but there just seems to be something missing. 

Federer did take time off after losing to Andy Roddick at the Sony Ericsson Open in early April to conserve some energy for the French Open. He told the media prior to the start of the Madrid Open that he's "recharged" now and ready to go after Novak Djokovic.

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"I am excited to be back after a long offseason, but I needed it after playing so, so much. I have put myself in a good position if I do win a Grand Slam for the world number one."

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That is a bold statement for Federer to make, and one that is going to require a lot of momentum for him to get where he wants to go. Nothing that he does in Madrid—or anywhere else—matters unless he performs in the four grand slam tournaments.

Time is not on Federer's side. At 30 years old, his window at the top has closed. He is still going to have a few moments here and there that make us think he is "back" to where he was, but the days of consistent dominance are long gone. 

Finding small positives to build off of are going to make Federer's seasons right now. The French Open has historically been Federer's most challenging Grand Slam, so he needs to find positives to take into the tournament. 

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