Roger Federer with his Rolex watch after winning the 2017 ATP Shanghai Rolex Masters. (Getty Images)
Andrey Rublev has been flying high in the Monte Carlo Masters while Roger Federer continues sliding down the ATP rankings
Age seems to be finally catching up to Roger Federer and his ATP ranking is also taking a hit.
The Swiss star was still in the top 10 despite a truncated season in 2020. That was due to the coronavirus and most of the tournaments were called off.
Federer also missed some tournaments while recovering from an injury and he has featured in only two competitions this season too.
There is no surety of Federer returning for the French Open in 2021. That could be a smart move given his best chance of winning a Grand Slam comes a few weeks later at Wimbledon.
The 39-year-old would be keen on winning his 21st Slam and it will be interesting to see how that hunt goes this year. However, all of his time off the court is affecting his rankings. Federer was seventh at the start of April but his ranking has slid down more thanks to Andrey Rublev.
Rublev is the next generation of tennis stars and the 23-year-old has already made some big moves in 2021.
The 23-year-old is yet to win a Grand Slam but his performances have been improving with each tournament.
Rublev defeated Casper Ruud in the semi-finals of the men’s singles at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters. He is to face Stefanos Tsitsipas later in the final today, but he can celebrate a bit already.
Jose Morgado, a tennis journalist, confirmed that Federer had slipped down the rankings thanks to Rublev.
Rublev is now ranked seventh in the world and Federer’s slide could continue if he doesn’t play more matches.
Of course, the Swiss star will remain as one of the greatest tennis players ever, if not the greatest men’s tennis player ever.
However, the big question would be on when would Federer call it a day and retire?
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates
