End Of An Era In Tennis

It's an interesting time in tennis right now. Rafael Nadal is out, which is supposed to mean that Roger Federer should be cleaning up Grand Slams like it's nobodies business. In reality, he is, but online betting handicappers can't help but feel like there has been a changing of the guards on the men's side of the tennis tour.

The champ has cracked. There are chinks in the armor and for the first time in a long time, someone other than Nadal has beaten him.

Federer did win the French Open, and he did win at Wimbledon, and he did nearly win at the US Open, but it's hard to ignore that he's fading a little bit.

At the French Open, Tommy Haas and Juan Martin Del Potro pushed him to five sets. At Wimbledon, Andy Roddick nearly stole the crown from him. At the US Open, Federer lost to Del Potro - blowing several opportunities to win the match or at least take a very strong choke hold. 

Sportsbook bettors know that this just isn't the same Federer who was unbeatable in a five-year stretch. 

It is a changing of the guards. Federer will still be the most consistent guy on the tour but he can clearly be beaten now. Nadal has shown it, Del Potro has shown it and maybe even guys like Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray will show it.

Del Potro winning also gives all of those other guys hope. And in tennis, that's all it takes along with some confidence.