The Biggest Question Facing All of Tennis' Top Stars

The men's tennis season has been quite patchy and uncertain.

The top guys went on substantial runs and then passed their fire to the next eager man.

A different player was won each of the majors thus far, so perhaps Roger Federer or a dark horse has a chance to take home the U.S. Open title in Flushing Meadows.

Many questions have been asked about the top stars after the wacky Wimbledon tournament that ensued this year.

Each athlete has a specific question to answer in the near future. Here are the biggest ones each of them faces.

Will Roger Federer Get out of This Slump?

Most players on the tour would take Roger Federer's 2013 season results in a heartbeat.

But for the Maestro himself, they are abysmal and his game definitely needs work.

His erratic playing and lack of capitalizing on key points means he is physically and mentally in a weaker state than normal.

He should go back to the drawing board in hopes of again joining the discussion of top men's players and remember that he is not anywhere near down and out just yet.

I think he will get out of this slump and win another major quite shortly, but that is just me.

Can Novak Djokovic Add a 7th Major Title to His Name?

Many people think Nole will have at least one more major in the next year or so.

If he cannot secure a second Open title, there is always the beloved Australian Open for him in another half a year.

He will likely win two ATP1000 tournaments this summer, but his No. 1 ranking could be at risk, seeing as how he can only defend points for the next seven or eight months.

I still do not believe he will win the French Open, even with all of the adjustments he has made in recent years. But his chances of winning any tournament are always very high, and that is without a question.

How Will Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Finish off the Year?

Though Jo-Willy Tsonga has been phenomenal for the most part this year, he has always been known to be a streaky guy.

He did well in the first two slams of the year but fell very short in London.

His clay season was also very hot and cold, so it is very tough to predict his future.

Roger Rasheed, his new coach, has gotten him to be a much better player in the physical sense. Tsonga also believes more in himself nowadays, so maybe he has another semifinal run in him at the U.S. Open.

Is Tomas Berdych Ready to Take the Next Step?

Tomas Berdych has had a very back-and-forth season, as well.

Sometimes he reaches the semifinals of a tournament, only to lose a first-round match the next week to an unknown player.

His powerful game is definitely threatening to the other top guys, but he never seems to beat them more than once a season. The only guy he really has a somewhat comfortable time against is Andy Murray.

He continues to lose to the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The Czech player does not have much time left to break into that elite group.

Sadly, I do not think he will ever gain the consistency needed to be a Top 5 athlete. I do not want to take away from his magnificent career, though, and maybe he will prove me wrong soon enough.

How Long Can Andy Murray Dominate on Fast Surfaces?

Andy Murray has never been all that great on clay courts, even though he grew up training on them.

And on slower hard courts, such as the ones in Melbourne and the O2 Arena in London, he has been very solid but unable to win many titles.

On the fast courts, he has the defense to block some balls back that most players would never even think of chasing down.

And his serve is usually unreturned when it is on, especially because of the atmosphere and speed of the court.

He is rivaling Roger Federer as the new king of fast courts, but I think it is only a matter of time before a power player comes along and strikes him and his dominance off the court.

Will Rafael Nadal Finish the Year as the World No. 1?

Rafael Nadal, after skipping the second half of the 2012 season, is in very good shape to take the No. 1 spot from Novak Djokovic, even more so than Andy Murray.

Though Rafa is only ranked fourth in the world, he has no points to defend, while the top guys, including David Ferrer, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, are all scrambling to keep their rankings in place.

He only played one hard court tournament in a year and a half but won it in flying colors.

I think consistent semifinal and final results are straight-forward enough for him, and one slip-up from a top player will allow him to surpass that ranking with ease.

Will Juan Martin Del Potro's Success Prove to Be Ephemeral?

Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina came out of nowhere with his brilliant runs at Indian Wells and Wimbledon.

He is certainly capable of doing this day-in and day-out, but his fitness and potential injuries keep him from doing it routinely.

I think he can make the semifinals of the U.S. Open, but other than that I think his summer will be lackluster due to the atmospheres at those specific ATP1000s.

Is Delpo running out of gas or just refueling? This is a hard one to call, but let's hope he can keep it up and give the Big Five a new challenge.

How Good Are David Ferrer's Chances at the U.S. Open and in Paris?

David Ferrer had a chance to make the U.S. Open final last year, but unfortunate circumstances and a delay in play flipped the tables on him.

At the Paris Masters, he was able to secure his very first ATP1000 title, which was symbolic of the Big Four's temporary stumble and his official knocking-at-the-door.

The scrappy Spaniard has a good chance to win any match and on all surfaces, but can he defend his results from the two biggest summer tournaments?

I think Ferrer will only thrive in one of those settings, but his year was already successful enough for him to be happy.