Roger Federer: Why He Will Be Back at 100 Percent in 2012

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a lucky man! He spent last Sunday at home, took a free tennis lesson from Roger Federer and got paid almost $300,000 for it.

Although the final match of the Masters 1000 in Paris got little tighter in the second set, the Frenchman was never a real threat to the Swiss.

With this win, Federer seals a perfect week in Paris, winning his first title there and without dropping a set.

Furthermore, his consecutive titles in Basel and Paris make him a favorite to defend his crown at the World Tour Finals in London next week, and shows in what kind of form he will be back to the 2012 season.

Of course, most critics will say that he didn’t face Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray in Basel and Paris.

However, this statement only leads to one of the main reasons why he will be back in 2012 at 100 percent: he is healthier than all the top players and besides being 30 years old, he endures the physically demanding schedule better than the rest.

Roger Federer played 987 matches in his career and never retired. This impressive feat shows how well he takes care of his body, but above all it describes his amazing talent. Roger plays tennis so effortlessly that his body just doesn’t wear out.

After hearing his interviews in the last couple of weeks and seeing how emotional he got after winning in Paris, one can realize how hungry Federer still is. All the accomplishment he has had and all the money he has made will not keep him from being continuously motivated.

Ironically, after so much success, being in the later part of his career can be a good thing in the sense that he can play with a lot less pressure now. He holds so many records and has won so much that there is little left for him to prove to everybody else. From now on he will play only for himself and for a few personal challenges he might still have.

Expectations next year will be on the Djokovic, Nadal and Murray. This can leave the great Swiss in a very comfortable position. Flying under the radar leads to less off-court distractions like press demands and sponsors commitments. He will be able to focus more on playing tennis only, which could be very dangerous for his opponents.

But the most important reason that will make Roger play in top form next year is how much he loves the game. It is clear and impossible not to notice how much he enjoys stepping on a tennis court and competing. This is by far Federer’s greatest legacy, especially for junior players aspiring for a career as a professional tennis player.

The Swiss is far from not being being a top player and is even farther away from being done. Nobody in the world plays tennis like Roger Federer. Expect great things from this genius in 2012.