Roger Federer: What His 2012 Indian Wells Title Shows About His Future

Going into 2012, skeptics had their opinions about World No. 3 Roger Federer.

The Swiss maestro turned 30 last August, an age that is relatively ancient in the tennis world. Even worse, 2011 was his first season since 2002 that did not see a Grand Slam title.

With all this in mind, Fed was undoubtedly entering the 2012 season with plenty to prove to audiences around the world. It's still early in the season, but he has already shown that he is a force to be reckoned with on the ATP Tour at this late point in his career.

Although he has seen plenty of success (back-to-back titles in Rotterdam and Dubai, semifinals at Doha and Australian Open), the peak of his season thus far is irrefutably his most recent Masters title in Indian Wells. His victory at the BNP Paribas Open was one of his more impressive showings of the past year-and-a-half.

So what does his strong performance tell us about the future of this season, and the rest of his career? One thing is for sure: He isn't backing down from the threats of the other top players. In fact, he is doing anything but back down.

The path to the Indian Wells trophy was not easy by any means. Along the way, Fed took down 21-year-old Canadian prospect Milos Raonic, Juan Martin Del Potro (whom he had lost to in that unforgettable U.S. Open final of 2009), long-time rival and all-time great Rafael Nadal, and up-and-coming big man John Isner from the United States.

Most notable on his journey to the title was his semifinal victory over Rafa. As epic as their rivalry has been, the Spaniard has controlled it for the most part—he currently leads 18-10 in head-to-head play.

Their recent encounter was quite an exception, though. Federer stayed in command for pretty much the entire match, cruising to a straight-set victory.

Along with the idea that Federer can stand up to the challenges of his competition, he also showed that he has the will to win with this title.

Players usually begin their downward spiral towards the lower portion of the rankings at 30 years old. Fed, on the contrary, is not showing any signs of a slow-down; his game is actually looking better than it did last year.

Many players today become too discouraged with their rapidly increasing age, but Federer isn't letting that mental aspect bring him down. If anything, it's motivating him to play better.

This title means more than just gaining some points for a player who is arguably the Greatest of All Time. We are quickly beginning to see that Federer is far from done with being a Grand Slam contender. Whether or not he is capable of winning another one is a question that remains unanswered for now, but his chances are looking better and better all the time. Don't count this 30-year-old out of future big tournaments.