Is this the end for Roger Federer?

Roger Federer is one of those names – deified, immortalised – that will forever be etched into records of sporting history’s greatest.

Like Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Michael Schumacher, the tenacious Swiss deserves to be heralded as a member of the all-time sporting elite.

Because of this, he is scrutinised to an unbearable level when his traditionally impeccable form slips. What could have happened? Is he too old, too injured, or just – dare we say it – too human?

2013 has been disappointing at best for the Swiss. Accustomed to setting strings of records within just a season, this year is no different for the Fed, but this time around, we’re witnessing record losses. The first four months of the year saw Roger fail to reach the final of any ATP tournament for the first time since 1999.

We saw him drop out of the top four for the first time since 2003. Struck down by the opportunistic Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine in the second round of his beloved Wimbledon in what has since been labelled the biggest Grand Slam upset in the Open era, Federer seemed to be on the cusp of an incontrovertible decline.

During a hard-court season dominated by an infallible Rafael Nadal, we saw him lose uncharacteristically early to young, low-ranked players like Federico Delbonis and Daniel Brands. For Fed fans, hope seemed obscured by bewilderment. And now, approaching the prestigious World Tour Finals and the hope for a potential 1,500 ATP points and the securing of a seventh title, Federer’s place in the tournament is being drawn into question for the first time.

Many instinctively cry ‘retirement’ with an air of smug inevitability. Whilst it is true that Federer has reached an age typically associated with physical decline and inconsistent tournament performance, there’s no doubt that the 17-time Grand Slam winner is a man that champions pride and dignity.

It is strange to see the man many still consider to be the greatest tennis player of all time scrabbling around like this

It certainly would be surprising to watch him play beyond his time and this author at least thinks that he should play on the ATP Tour for as long as he wishes. All it takes is a quick glance at Tommy Haas – the oldest regularly seeded player on the tour – to verify this. The 35-year-old just taken the Vienna title, becoming the oldest tournament winner of the season. Age has never been a decisively limiting factor in tennis.

So what is it then? Why such an uphill struggle? Many have noticed a steady pattern of decline in Federer’s playing that began at some point in 2011; in the last three years, he’s played in just two Grand Slam semi-finals and won one. A fine performance by any player’s standards but, of course, Roger Federer isn’t any player.

Coincidentally, Federer has bookended this particularly patchy period with the firing of coach Paul Annacone. Could this be the way to go? Could Federer excel in this last quarter of the year coach-less, since he is unlikely to appoint a new coach before the end of 2013?

Yes. Despite how the statistics read on paper, Annacone worked well Federer and helped him achieve his goal of holding the world no.1 spot in the ATP rankings, but the pair’s decision to part can only come from a place of positive change towards a strong 2013.

I’m sure I am not alone in thinking that the decision could see Roger taking greater strides towards recapturing the flame of valour he’ll need to climb back into the world’s top five.

The question we should be asking is not one of whether or not Roger will return to his former glory; by this point the past is firmly in the past. What the future holds, however, is the question of Grand Slam success. Another Wimbledon is absolutely not out of the question.

That elusive spot at the top of the men’s rankings, however, is another matter. Federer’s 2014 performance, as he himself confessed in a recent interview with the ATP, will depend heavily on how he plays at the beginning of the year, which means added scrutiny on his performance at January’s Australian Open.

Until then, the mighty Swiss must struggle to reach that promising blue court in London in two weeks. He has already missed one opportunity, losing 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-4 to Juan Martin del Potro in the Swiss Indoors final. He now has to beat Kevin Anderson or Mikhail Youzhny in his second-round qualifying match in Paris to reach the finals.

It is strange to see the man many still consider to be the greatest tennis player of all time scrabbling around like this. 2014 is make-or-break for Roger Federer.