Wimbledon 2012 Results: Roger Federer's Return to No. 1 Rank Will Be Short Lived

On Sunday, Roger Federer proved that he still firmly belongs in the current generation's grouping of elite players alongside Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, defeating Andy Murray to win his seventh Wimbledon title and retaking the ATP's No. 1 ranking along the way.

But don't expect him to finish the season as the world's No. 1.

It's not that I don't believe Roger Federer isn't an elite player or won't compete at the top level. It's simply that the best player of all time is getting older, and the younger players are catching up.

For one, Rafael Nadal won't be knocked out in the second round at the U.S. Open. His departure from Wimbledon was as shocking a result as they come.

Novak Djokovic will have a lot of motivation heading into the U.S. Open after seeing his Grand Slam finishes go downward this season, from an Australian Open title to a loss in the French Open final to being eliminated by Federer in the semifinals of Wimbledon.

Murray is making strides and one of these times he's going to break through and win a Grand Slam title. Despite the loss to Federer, he played very well in the final. He's too talented to be without a Grand Slam under his belt for much longer.

I'm not trying to throw a wet blanket on Federer's achievement. The man has 17 Grand Slam titles—he's the best ever, and he was fantastic at Wimbledon.

And he's clearly been on a run of good form this season. After going 1-7 against Nadal and Djokovic last season, he's been a much more promising 2-3 against the game's top pair this year.

It's just hard to imagine those two not returning to the top of the game after this little hiccup at Wimbledon. The two had combined to win the past nine Grand Slam titles heading into the Fortnight, and had competed against each other in the final in five of the last seven.

The tennis world was their oyster, and I think they'll have the hunger to return to the top after a disappointing Wimbledon.

Federer is no longer an afterthought behind Nadal and Djokovic dominated the past two-and-a-half years of tennis. But they'll be gunning for his No. 1 ranking, and after the U.S. Open, I believe one of them will have it.

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