Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic Ready Themselves for a Titanic 2012

As the Rome Master settles in its red dust today, with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer opening their campaigns at the Foro Italico, several juicy questions and possibilities loom in the air for the world’s top three (Nadal, Federer and Novak Djokovic).

For one, there’s the fact that Federer most recently moved to No. 2 in the rankings, an event that rarely occurs among the top four, and which naturally causes much uproar when it does. Uproar within debating circles, of course.

What it does mean, in fact, is that Federer is almost assured of a second seeding at Roland Garros, even if Nadal wins at Rome. While Nadal would then lead Federer by almost 600 points, were Federer to lose again in the third round, he would still trail him by 200, when the points from the 2011 French Open fall off.

What this makes people wonder, for those who spend day and night thinking about these things, is the very delicious possibility of a Novak-Rafa semifinal at the French Open, followed by a final against Federer. Even, for that matter, a repeat of last year’s scenario, with Novak-Federer followed by a Federer-Nadal final, or a Federer-Nadal semifinal, followed by a showdown with Djokovic in the final.

However the mathematical calculations might go, should these three meet for their appointed showdowns at the French Open, we could see considerable shake-ups in the rankings. It is unlikely Federer would surpass Djokovic at No. 1 at the French, although a repeat of last year’s finals run, or the unlikelier win, would certainly help his cause.

Naturally, the biggest story leading into Paris is likely to be Djokovic’s chances at winning, at all.

Boris Becker has already suggested that winning there, and becoming the third man in a decade to win the Career Grand Slam—with the possibility of the Calendar Slam, and even Golden Slam (with the Olympics looming)—would put him on par with Federer and Nadal. Some die-hards would contest this, but Djokovic would definitely be making a very strong case.

If Djokovic’s story isn't big enough to fill the annals of 2012, we have in Rafael Nadal the tantalising possibility of a renewed reign at the top—will he reclaim his No. 1 glory?—as well as the unavoidably painful prospect of becoming, for the first real time, a superman who has become just a bit less super.

Shocking as Verdasco’s victory over him might have been, Nadal is entering a stage in his career—even as he is about to turn 26 in a few weeks—that Federer had to come to terms with in 2010.

Losing winnable matches, seemingly losing the competitive edge and desire, and in the eyes of some, losing all hope of retrieval—Federer has faced, and still faces, these problems in 2012. The blue clay controversy only served to reveal a nastily picky side to Nadal, that in tennis terms almost resembles an old man’s laments about the younger, more innovative times he is forced to live through.

Nadal stands at 48 titles at this moment and 10 Grand Slams—a position almost identical to Federer's in 2007, on the eve of his 26th birthday, when he had 49 titles and 12 slams. 2012 may provide, for those looking for a morose and sobering reality check, the best material in Nadal.