Now That the Aussie Heat Has Cooled Down, What Is Next for Roger Federer?

Well now, I had to wait a while before writing this. I knew what was coming, ever since Roger's loss.

I knew there would be tons of Bleacher Report articles about the Roger-Rafa 09 Aussie Final.

I knew most people would be repeating the same thing. Some saying Rafa is the best, Roger is done, things like that. But I wanted to wait, wait until the heat cooled off a bit.

So really, what is next for Roger?

First off, have you guys noticed something new? Something in how people have, ALL OF A SUDDEN, started talking about Federer? People are beginning to say less and less that Roger Federer is the greatest of all time.

More and more you are hearing Top 10, Top 5, Top 3, and so on. Nadal, last year, clearly stated that Federer is the greatest of all-time, but this year, after the Aussie Final, said Roger is ONE of the greatest of all-time.

Rafa's uncle Toni said Rod Laver is the best ever, then comes Federer.

But last year, and the year before that, it was all Roger, "he is the best," "no one will ever be better than Roger," "no one will ever break his Grand Slam Record when he passes Pete."

So why the sudden change? What, because he lost the Aussie? Because he is still at 13 Grand Slams? Because he is No. 2 in the world? What?

Well many questions were racing in my mind as well as others. To tell the truth I too, thought it was over, Roger will never be the best ever.

Even if he passes Pete, Rafa will catch up. I thought Roger couldn't do it, didn't have enough confidence, and many more things.

But look, Roger should be at 15 Grand Slams by now.  Had it not been for that darn mono sickness he had. Last year's losses hurt. Last year Fed was supposed to finish with 15 Grand Slams.

We are past the Aussie, and already Fed has suffered a loss. Last year people were starting to speculate on what was happening to Roger. Some attacked him, some defended him.

But then, he won the doubles gold in Beijing, he won the U.S. Open, where he had a strong performance that was supposed to, and I guess did for most of the time, give Fed steam heading into the Australian Open.

This year, the Aussie was suppose to really tell the world, Roger is the greatest ever, forever. This was suppose to rejuvenate him.

After winning the doubles gold and US Open, now he was supposed to really declare his return to dominance, and stop the questioning of his primacy, of whether he has passed it or not.

Last year, he suffered tough losses to Nadal. Roger was destroyed at the French Open, while he had barely been beaten at Wimbledon.

A win over Nadal would give him confidence for the whole year, it would tell Roger that he is able to beat Rafa. But he lost. With everything Roger has, all the shot making ability, fitness, physicality, it wasn't enough.

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