5 things for Roger Federer to look forward to in 2016

Greatest of All Time is a title that is occasionally thrown around, but in the case of Roger Federer, it is nearly undisputed by fans and critics alike. The Maestro, who made his professional tennis debut in 1998, first became World No. 1 just over 5 years later, and would go on to become the longest-serving (no pun intended!) World No. 1 in the history of tennis.His records and gameplay speak entirely for themselves, and as he comes back from what appeared to be a dip in form, we explore what he has to look forward to next year.

#5 More records to break

At the finals of the Brisbane Open this year, Federer took the 1000th victory of his tennis career

Federer is perhaps the most decorated male player in the Open Era of tennis. The records he has set would fill up pages and pages of newsprint, as they have over the years he has set them.

The Swiss has been the longest-serving World No. 1 in men’s tennis, holding the post for a whopping 302 weeks – 237 of those consecutively. He holds 17 Grand Slams – the most of all time, reaching a record 27 Slam finals. Federer has long been considered one of the most consistent players to have ever played the game, if not the most consistent.

He has won a minimum of 5 titles at every tournament he has ever played, adding to them this year. He made the finals of two Grand Slams this year, Wimbledon and the US Open – losing on both occasions to Novak Djokovic, the only player who has so far appeared to rival Federer’s consistency and strong, sustained attacks.

Several of his records are shared with a number of the other all-time greats in the game, past and present – Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, current coach Stefan Edberg and some of his contemporaries, who also happen to be his on-court nemeses – Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, both of whose rivalry with Federer is legendary in the tennis world.

He holds records for the most number of titles across Slams, ATP 500, 250 events, several rankings records.. the list goes on and on.

With his current form, he could add to his already staggering records, and in making them more and more insurmountable, firmly cement his place in sporting history as the greatest tennis player to ever have lived.

#4 A new secret weapon

An essential part of Federer’s coaching team, Severin Luthi (R) persuaded him to use the SABR

It may not be much of a secret anymore, but the SABR – or Sneak Attack By Roger – has flummoxed many an opponent of the Swiss this year. He debuted it midway through the 2015 season, using it to perfection in his dismantling of Novak Djokovic at the Cincinnati Masters.

Although Federer’s longtime idol Stefan Edberg recently took on a coaching role with the Swiss ace, it was in fact his longtime coach Severin Luthi who coaxed him to use the move. The pair had initially ‘discovered’ the move after a tired Federer wanted to leave practice and hit returns at his coach; of the SABR, he said that he discovered it by accident.

Luthi was instrumental in convincing Federer to use it in a match – and this proved to be the right decision, with the Swiss using it effectively against Djokovic and France’s Richard Gasquet.

It has been so effective that several of Federer’s opponents have tried to use it, notably among them his Olympic gold-winning doubles partner, compatriot and occasional opponent, Stan Wawrinka.

With the new year and a coaching team that boasts even more experience, perhaps Federer has another sneak attack up his sleeve.

#3 An extended Djokovic rivalry

Their legendary rivalry is on track to intensify in 2016

The two have been fighting on-court all day, both managing to beat the other this year, although Djokovic has taken the title at every Slam the two have met at.

The Federer-Djokovic rivalry is the stuff of tennis legend, and one of its most equal. The pair have faced off a total of 43 times, with Federer taking 22 of those victories. A staggering 14 of these were Grand Slams, with 4 finals and 9 semifinals.

Each player is the only one to have beaten the other at all four Slams. The two put on an exemplary display of tennis irrespective of the surface, although both are hard-court specialists and have beaten each other and various opponents across clay, grass and hard courts.

Djokovic is now the 5th longest-serving World No. 1 in a row, joining a pantheon of greats such as Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl and Federer himself. Also currently in the form of his life and with little to no indication of slowing down, Djokovic has won three of the year’s four Slams, missing out only on the Coupe de Mousquetaires or the French Open title, to another Swiss – Stan Wawrinka.

A testament to Djokovic’s form – he has been in the finals of every single ATP event and Grand Slam this year, barring the Qatar Open, where he was upset in the quarterfinals by his compatriot, the big-serving Ivo Karlovic

Of his 2015 ATP events, Djokovic has taken seven victories. With improved training, a more honed regime and diet, the Serbian ace has himself said that he is in the form of his life. Federer has been one of only four players to have beaten him all year – a feat he repeated at the ATP World Tour Finals in the pair’s round robin match.

With two of the greatest in the game both in form, with a resurgent Federer waiting to strike, their rivalry promises newer and better things in 2016.

#2 Olympic Gold

Federer’s highest Olympic singles finish is winning the silver at London 2012, losing gold to Andy Murray

2016 brings the Rio Olympics and the prospect of more stellar tennis from Federer on the world stage. Olympic medals are not alien to Federer, who even has gold – but not in the Singles. The Swiss won gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China at the men’s doubles, partnered by his occasional competitor Stan Wawrinka. He is by no means a slouch at Olympics singles either, having taken silver at the 2012 London Games.

Federer lost then to Andy Murray, and will look to add an Olympic singles gold to his already glittering prize cabinet. With his strong form set only to progress, and flourishing under the mentorship of Stefan Edberg, it does not look like a big ask for the stellar Swiss.

#1 A return to #1

Caption

With a strengthening game this year, Federer has moved only between #2 and #3 on the ATP rankings. Current #2 Murray has made 7 finals this year, only one of them a Grand Slam – the Australian Open, which he lost to Novak Djokovic; despite reaching the semi-finals in most of his matches, he has appeared to flag slightly.

Federer’s other rival, Rafael Nadal, has in fact displayed an upswing in form. As this is very recent, however, it is perhaps unfair to extrapolate this as being indicative of a trend in the Spaniard’s form, especially considering that he has had coaching and injury issues all year.

Although he has lost to Djokovic at two Grand Slam finals this year, some of those losses were fairly closely contested affairs, while he beat Djokovic in straight sets at the ATP World Tour Finals in November of this year at the pair’s round robin stage match.