Federer no longer dominates tennis

By Max J. Dickstein, amNewYork Sports Editor | mdickstein@am-ny.com

July 11, 2008

Switzerland's Roger Federer kisses the trophy, after defeating Rafael Nadal to win his fifth consecutive Men's Singles Championship on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Sunday July 8, 2007. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus / July 8, 2007)

Roger Federer will return to New York next month as the four-time defending U.S. Open champion, but without the Wimbledon title and aura of invincibility that have attended him for his 232 weeks at No. 1.

Several months of humbling losses have removed the Swiss from the controls of his own grand narrative.

Until his recent losses, especially to No. 2 Rafael Nadal in this year's French Open and Wimbledon finals, Federer was accustomed to an environment of awe as he continued his historic run of major victories -- and a position well ahead of his pursuers.

"No. 2, No. 3 -- it doesn't matter much," Federer said in September, when asked about his two young rivals, Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Novak Djokovic. "It's No. 1 that matters."

A roomful of U.S. Open reporters answered that audacious statement with impressed laughter.

"New guys challenging me -- this is my biggest motivation out there," Federer said then, having just turned back Djokovic in three sets to win his 12th Grand Slam title. "Seeing them challenging me, and then beating them in the finals."

Mixing a backhand into his generosity, Federer added: "I think straight sets was a bit brutal for Novak, to be honest. He deserved better than that."

But a precarious year will make the 26-yar-old Federer less prone to regal pronouncements this year at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic dealt Federer some brutal, straight-sets revenge in January, defeating Federer in their Australian Open semifinal. Ensuing shortfalls have served to mute Federer's occasional bluster from the top spot.

Asked last Friday about the intense media chatter accompanying his troubles, Federer seemed to demand some affirmation.

"I guess you can always say whatever you like, you know? It's a free world here," Federer said. "But don't write me off too quickly. This is my part of the season. I have Wimbledon, Olympic games, U.S. Open. So I hope I can do well."

Two days later, Federer fell to Nadal in perhaps the greatest tennis match ever played. His strength in five-set defeat showed Federer will be able to compete with Nadal and Djokovic as they crowd into his space at the top.

To finish as runner-up at two Grand Slam events, as Federer has this year, is to "do well." But No. 2 will not suffice for perhaps the greatest tennis player in history. With anything less than total victory, the story of Federer is not the one he wants told.

Max J. Dickstein is amNewYork's sports editor. E-mail him at mdickstein@am-ny.com.