Roger Federer: Is He the Last Dominant Player in Men's Tennis?

It's only fitting that by capturing his sixth ATP World Tour Finals victory, Roger Federer broke out of a tie with Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras for titles won at the year-end event. Those are arguably the most dominant players of the past three decades: Lendl owned the 1980s, Sampras reigned throughout the '90s and Federer has taken the game to new heights in the 2000s.

After it's all said and done for Federer, though, will there be anyone who can rule over his fellow competitors for significant periods of time?

Novak Djokovic had one of the greatest seasons in the game's history in 2011, winning three Grand Slam titles and five Masters 1000 events. But by the time it got later in the year, his body began to betray him and in London, he failed to make it out of the round-robin portion of the event. That showing over the past few months will embolden his opponents in 2012.

Will he be able to fend off the challengers? His injuries are a troubling sign when it comes to concerns over his longevity and place at the top of the rankings.

One of the players that will be looking to exact some revenge next year is Rafael Nadal, who lost to Djokovic a number of times over the year. Those losses cost Nadal his No. 1 ranking, something he worked hard for after playing bridesmaid to Federer for years. If anything, that apprenticeship to Federer showed that Nadal is persistent when it comes to achieving his goals, and there's no question he'll be motivated to exact some revenge upon Djokovic. But will that relentlessness drain him of years in his career? He's already been plagued by various injuries—how much will he have in the tank mentally over the next few years?

When Andy Murray finally wins a Grand Slam title, odds are that his game will really begin to flow after that bit of pressure is erased. He could possibly even make it to the No. 1 spot and hold it for a time. But he'll get into trouble as he's still likely to play longer points instead of being more aggressive, similar to Andre Agassi in his prime. That style can get you to the pinnacle and put some Major trophies on the mantelpiece, but when someone comes along like a Sampras or Federer, winning gets a little harder in the head-to-heads.

So when it comes down to it, those three—who signal a transition out of the Federer era—could find it difficult to follow in his footsteps as far as dominance goes. And with the way the game is progressing in regard to court surface, equipment advantages and players getting bigger and stronger, the more parity you're likely to see in the years to come.

While Federer's title in London shows he's far from done, the days of a player dominating for years on end like he did—and Sampras and Lendl before him—may well be.