Wimbledon 2011: Are Roger Federer's Best Days Behind Him?

Roger Federer is out of Wimbledon at the quarterfinal stage. Hands up—who predicted that?

No?

Nobody?

Me neither. But does this mean it's all over for Fed? Will he ever get back to his finest form? Or are we now seeing the decline of one of the game's greatest superpowers? Let's look at the evidence, and make sure you have your say in the comments.

Numbers Don't Lie

First of all, let's look at the rankings. Usually, with the men's game, they don't lie. And Federer will not be world No. 1 any time soon—and indeed hasn't been for a very long time by his standards. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the best in the world, and Roger Federer isn't keeping up with the younger men any more.

Not Himself

Two sets to love up at Wimbledon, and he let the lead slip. That's something that Roger Federer has never done before—something he's never done in a grand slam event—and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took advantage of it. Throwing away that lead with a Wimbledon semifinal at stake is most un-Federer-like behaviour.

Running Dry

Genius comes at a price. Roger Federer is the greatest-ever on grass, I would argue; probably the greatest ever full stop. But after so many years at the top and so many epic title battles, perhaps Federer's reserves of grand-slam fortitude are running dry.

(Incidentally, it occurred to me as I wrote this that if Federer was a woman, everybody would be blaming her fall in the rankings and in form on her becoming a parent—tennis seems less important once you have children, and all that).

Beginning of the End

Roger Federer was dignified in defeat against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, as he always is, whether he wins or loses. It's tough to predict anything when it comes to Federer, because you simply can't apply rules to genius.

I do think, however, that he's the kind of player who will opt to bow out at the top rather than tarnish his legacy. I'm not necessarily predicting a retirement quite yet—but much as Federer may fight it, I don't think he will ever dominate the game again as he did five years ago.