Roger Federer may have slipped to No. 6 in the world rankings but he still has a lot of life left in him.
The 17-time grand slam champion hasn't been as consistent as we have seen him in the past, while the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have caught up with the Swiss star and moved ahead.
But on his day, and if he has a bit of luck in the draw, the 32-year-old Federer has got a great chance of reaching another grand slam final.
Federer’s problem is, unlike earlier in his career, he’s getting stuck in long five-set battles.
At the Australian Open he was taken the distance by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals before being beaten by Murray over five sets in the semis.
Whether the reason is his back injury or not we don’t know, but Federer is getting stuck in longer matches.
He certainly has the ability to win another grand slam. Tournaments are unpredictable, players fall out of form or they can get injured. Federer needs things to go his way.
Wimbledon, where he has won a record-equaling seven men’s singles titles, is his best chance of a record 18th grand slam.
He crashed out in the second round at the All England Club this year - losing in four sets to Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky - but I don’t think he played badly in that match.
Federer ran into a red-hot player and Stakhovsky played the match of his life.
Regardless, Federer is still a real threat. I don’t think any player would like to face an in-form Federer in a quarterfinal or a semifinal.
I don’t think Nadal or Djokovic would be too happy about seeing him in their side of the draw.
If either of those two has been in a five-set match and they see a fresh Federer in the semifinals or a final, that’s a pretty frightening proposition.
As for Nadal, he missed three months of the year and ended up as No. 1. That’s quite something.
Despite losing to Djokovic at the ATP World Tour Finals, he’s the man to beat in 2014.
At times this season, the Spaniard has played as well as he ever has.
The U.S. Open, where he beat Djokovic to clinch a 13th grand slam triumph, was particularly spectacular.
The French Open wasn’t his best, but he still took the title; his record eighth at Roland Garros. His comeback from knee injuries has been the story of the year.
Djokovic has certainly been the most consistent player over the past couple of years, getting to world No. 1 prior to Nadal’s return to form.
It's crucial to see who can stay fittest for the longest. Remember three of the top four players have had injuries this year.
One of which is Murray, who missed the World Tour Finals with a back injury. If the two-time grand slam winner is fully fit he’s a real threat.
His success at Wimbledon was one of the highlights of the year with Murray becoming the first British men’s singles champion at SW19 for 77 years by beating Djokovic in straight sets.
Outside the usual suspects, Juan Martin Del Potro is the player to watch.
The Argentine looked good this year. He lost in the second round of the U.S. Open but he played well at Wimbledon, where he was beaten by Djokovic in the semifinals.
I think he’s going to be a threat. He’s got a big enough game and he’s won a grand slam - at Flushing Meadows in 2009.
In the women’s game, Marion Bartoli was a surprise winner at Wimbledon.
I think the Frenchwoman achieved more than she ever thought possible during her career and retired looking forward to a life away from tennis.
Of the players still active, there’s no doubt Serena Williams is the undisputed No. 1.
Victoria Azarenka is currently second in the rankings, but I think she leveled out a bit this year after reaching the top in 2012.
Who’s willing to stand up to Williams? I think Azarenka is a great competitor and Maria Sharapova could challenge, but, with her shoulder injury, who knows what she’s capable of?
Serena is in a class of her own when she’s fit.
