Roger Federer: What Would Olympic Gold Mean for R-Fed?

More than you think.

The newly crowned Wimbledon champion and No. 1 player in the world looks to stay hot during the summer by capturing an Olympic gold medal. Roger Federer is playing incredible tennis right now. After dropping the first set to Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final, the Swiss legend went on to dominate the rest of the match despite a lengthy rain delay that many thought would kill his momentum.

Federer has won nearly every tournament in the world and is arguably the best tennis player of all time, but he is missing something from his trophy case. Federer has never won a singles medal in the Olympics. In Beijing, Federer won a doubles gold medal but stumbled in the singles quarterfinal when American James Blake knocked him off.

This is likely the last serious chance for Federer to add the missing trophy, or in this case a medal, to his insanely packed trophy case. An Olympic gold would put Federer in a rare company. He would become the third tennis player ever to complete the career grand slam as well as winning a singles gold medal, joining Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal.

Federer is one the fiercest competitors in all of sports, and to think that it does not annoy him that he has yet to win an medal in Olympic singles competition is crazy. For a player who has won everything and everywhere, the fire that drives Federer is just as bright as it ever has been. 

Federer told Jonathan Overend of the BBC:

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"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be playing at Wimbledon at the Olympic games. It's just a really big deal for us to be living that Olympic spirit, right there, at the most incredible arena we have in tennis. It's a big goal for me, there's no doubt about it. This is my fourth time. I don't think there's another player in singles who has played four in this era so I am very happy that I'm able to do this.”

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Federer will carry momentum and his experience that he gained while playing phenomenal tennis this past weekend into the Olympics and should be the early favorite at the All England Club, where Olympic play will be held.

Federer, who is still deciding whether he will be Switzerland’s flag barrier during the opening ceremonies, is one of the best grass players of all time. This is the first time the Olympic court will be grass since 2000, when Federer lost in the semifinals.

Twelve years, 17 grand slams and 286 weeks as the No. 1 Player in the world later, Federer will stroll into the Olympics as the early favorite.  

His win at Wimbledon cemented his legacy as the best tennis player ever, and a gold medal would only further push Federer to a spot in history by himself.

For a man who seemed to move to the backseat in a car driven by Nadal and Novak Djokovic the past three years, Federer has vaulted himself back into the driver's seat at Wimbledon and looks to be driving right to the Olympic podium for the first time in his career.