Roger Federer Must Treat Wimbledon As Last Chance at a Major

Roger Federer won his first title of the year on Sunday and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Wimbledon—which Federer has won a record seven times—begins next week and the aging 31-year-old doesn't have many more opportunities to capture another Grand Slam singles title.

The Swiss great defeated Mikhail Youzhny in Halle on Sunday 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. It came on grass, his preferred surface. It marked the sixth time in his career that he won the Wimbledon warm-up event.

Let's be clear: While Federer still has a little left in the tank, 2013 is the first year in which he's looked like he's on the decline. He's 24-7 this year, compared to 71-12 last year. This is also his first singles title of the year while he won six last year.

Last year, Federer reminded everyone why he's a great when he won Wimbledon, despite facing doubts at the tournament for basically the first time in his career.

This year, however, it's different. He hasn't been as dominant. Last year, he won four singles titles before even setting foot on Wimbledon's courts.

This year also marks Rafael Nadal's resurrection. The 27-year-old Spaniard has gone 43-2 with seven singles titles (including the French Open) after missing about eight months with tendinitis after Wimbledon 2012.

While Nadal is the King of Clay, Federer has always been the King of Grass. He owns Wimbledon, and he showed that in last year's tournament by beating both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray en route to the title.

We haven't seen the same Roger Federer this year as we saw in years past, but it would be foolish to count him out at Wimbledon. The greats find ways to win and Federer knows this tournament is his to lose.

Who knows what Federer will look like next year. It's hard to imagine him rebounding and playing better as he ages. But he will always have Wimbledon, a tournament dear to his heart. And he will always have the mental edge at Wimbledon, make no mistake about it. That's what winning seven times does for you.

While Federer's winning percentage has dropped in 2013, he is 66-7 lifetime at Wimbledon. Even at this stage, it's a shock when he loses at the Grand Slam. If Federer can't win at Wimbledon, it's hard to imagine him winning another major.