I agree.

I'm not sure this needed to be an article/discussed... I mean it's pretty obvious that while he has had a good year by his own standards, it was far from great. Nole had a GREAT 2011 (winning 3 slams, huge streak, world no.1, etc). Was clearly the best man last season.

This year, as shown by the slams being won by the big 4, shows just how equal the playing field was this year. No one really "stood out", as it was expected that the big 4 would continue to be in a league of their own... Best man this season? We will have to wait until November.

Nole is still the best man this season even though No.1 ranking suggests otherwise... If Fed goes on a tear in Indoors, then he could be.... Last few seasons... Clay is to Nadal is what Indoor to Fed...

^^^ Quite unlikely that Fed could win all three indoor events as they're back to back in three consecutive weeks. Also I'm not sure he's playing the Asian swing, so he can't gain any additional points.

Nole can gain points during the Asian swing. He has at least four tournaments where he can gain points. Even not winning all of them but reaching the finals or SFs is good enough for him to regain the no.1 ranking.

I think if Murray can maintain his good form and wins all his Asian swing events (like he did last year), wins one of Paris or London, he'll be in good position to reach no.1 next year. Both Nole and Fed have plenty of points to defend from beginning of year till end of clay season, and should they falter here and there, Murray will be in a good position to capitalize on that, especially when Rafa will be just back to the tours and needs to win consistently before even thinking of getting to no.1.

IMO, Murray is in a good position to become no.1 next year, and I hope he can achieve that. Thereafter, I hope Rafa can regain the no.1 and the three of them (Rafa, Nole and Murray) will give us exciting matches, with Fed and the rest of the top ten in the mix.

^^^ are you not ashamed to make such comments?

"with Fed and the rest of the top ten in the mix. "????
You predicted Fed to blown away after FO2012, but he is #1 at the moment.
Refrain from your pity statistics, we can see through you..

Calm down sabs, nothing wrong with lucky's conjecture, pretty reasonable IMHO. Only blind Fedfans expert his 2012 Golden (oops, make that silver) summer to continue well into 2013...............

He's had a good innings, time to accept reality.

Fed would be blown away if not for Rafa getting injured. I'm sure had Rafa being healthy, both Rosol and Fed would be beaten by Rafa at Wimbledon. Take my word for that, Rafa can prove it when he's back to his healthy and fit self starting from 2012.

Fed was lucky he met an inexperienced Murray in the Wimbledon final (his first Wimbledon final and under tremendous pressure to perform). The very next time they met on grass, in the Olympics final, we saw Murray quickly turned the table on Fed. Even Delpo pushed Fed to the limit on Fed's favorite grass surface when grass wasn't even Delpo's best surface! Fed also lost to big Berd in the QF of USO, and Fed had never lost before the SF at the USO since he won it in 2004. With the rise of Murray now, the logical way for Fed to go is down. Fed now has Rafa, Nole and Murray to deal with, not to mention that now Berdych has joined them. Delpo and Tsonga may be the next two, ao what's wrong with saying 'Fed and the rest of the top ten'?

Be realistic, Fed is 31 now and there'll come a time when even at the indoors, his edge over the others will diminish too! For Fed to be no.1 both times, in 2009 and 2012, Rafa had to be injured and spent time away from the tours. In 2010 and 2011, when Rafa was back without major injury break, Fed had to relinquish that no.1 position!

Got to be realistic, since 2008 when Rafa reached his prime, Fed would only prosper with Rafa not being around during part of the seasons. Let's see who's right in 2012, my take is Nole and Murray will take turns to be no.1. Depending on how things go for Rafa, he may threaten for the no.1 position only come the second half of the season next year.

Correction: 'Rafa can prove it......starting from 2013'

And of course I mean Nole and Murray take turns to be no.1 in 2013. I don't think that's being unrealistic.

Fed is World no1 won a slam like the rest of the top 4 and also won 3 masters series this season and is leading the tour with 6 titles this year. Not to mention his clean sweep at the end of last season. And next year he will fall away?? Was'nt he supposed to do that in 2010, 2011 and this year too? How many time's does he have to prove you all wrong. Sure father time waits for no man but on the evidence of this year there is no reason to believe he will just drop off the radar in 2013. Whoever thinks that is delusional. He was lucky that he met an inexperienced Murray at Wimbledon?? A man who has played 32 grand slams, reached the semi's or better 10 times and that was his 4th final and he's inexperienced?? A moth later and he smashes Fed in the final on the Olympic's and all of a sudden he's 'experienced' now? Give me a break.

brothy, no one is diminishing Fed's incredible run to date. However, there is a reason he was so downcast after his defeat by Berdy, he knew this was it...........

He is a fighter, he will continue to fight, he is not on the Davis Cup roster because of a renewed love for the Tournament................but he is only human, he is succumbing to the ravages of time in sporting terms........

I agree RITB he was extremely disappointed with that loss, not because of who beat him but because of the way he performed himself. Sure Berdy played well, and it's not as if he has'nt got game he is no6 in the world and a slam finalist! I don't think the walk over did him any favors either but that can't be helped. To say he knew that was it....... is going a little too far i believe having won Wimbledon and then spanking Novak in Cincy. He has been at the top now a long, long time. Longer than any man in history. He will fall of course being 6 years older than his rivals now is a lifetime in tennis. But i still believe he can compete in the slams next year, as i'm sure a lot of others do too including Roger himself. It won't be easy though.

Make no mistake, I want Fed in the Top 4 and fighting fit. It is clear the current Top 4 are treasures to the game. They have raised the profile of tennis to unheard of levels. I bet other sports are looking on with envy.........

I think federer may end up as No 1...thanks to murray, i think murray is the key here from here on if murray ends up in nole's draw he can take out nole before final and that allows federer to gain some more points in shanghi....some how if murray wins one of paris and shanghi masters & WTF then there is a great chnance for federer being end up as no 1...

I think federer these days is not taking losses that much closely to his heart..today he is practising for DC and he looks quite relaxed, i think federer is going to have a good indoor season...

Considering Rafa only had half a season he hasn't done too badly. He was leading the race up to Wimbledon. I think the year end #1 will be Nole and Murray will be #2.

It all depends how long Rafa takes to get back into the swing of things. I have a feeling he didn't want to rush back this season as he had few points to defend and the longer he rests and take time to recover the better he will be.

Next year, I don't think Fed will do so well. He was able to forge his way through because Rafa wasn't firing on all cylinders since the beginning of the year. That win over Rafa at IW was a freak win because it was too easy for Fed and he doesn't beat Rafa most of the time let alone that easily. Even at the WTF, Rafa had some stomach bug going on.

We can't assess the top 4 this year because Rafa has only played 1/2 the season, who know who would have made the finals of anything had he been fit and playing.

^^ You say it there right brothdog? Aren't you the one who wrote off Rafa on other surfaces when he's only 26 yo? So you think Fed at 32 will still dominate the tours? FYI, he isn't dominating the tours this year, he benefitted from the down time of Nole last year and Rafa this year. If I'm not wrong Fed ended 2010 and 2011 as Ye no.3, and he only dominated on the indoor hard courts.

Murray was inexperienced as a Wimbledon finalist, this was his first time reaching a Wimbledon final and bearing the whole nations expectations. He learnt fast and beat Fed in their very next meeting. Murray haven't being to 32 slams, not even Nole made that number.

I seriously doubt Fed could defend all his indoor hard court points this year, don't forget they're played on three consecutive weeks, unlike last year. Also last year Nole and Murray both had injury issues during the last part of the season, hence they're no threat to Fed last year. Just go and analyse their respective ranking and race points and see for yourself objectively. Murray is in a good position to gain points at Paris and London, not forgetting he only has 10 points at IW this year, meaning he has potential to gain further.

I believe with the current rankings stack up, the interesting draw analysis will be which half Muzza lands in. if he lands in Nole's half it's advantage Rafa because the Nole-Muzza rivalry is becoming an almighty tussle, the way the Rafa-Nole was last year. Provided Rafa comes back fighting fit of course..........

28 sorry not 32, found an extra season from somewhere. Fed can only beat who is there lucky, same for every other player. Injuries and loss of form is part of the game, it's how you deal with it that counts. There is no argument that since the USO 2011 Fed has been the most consistent player and won the most tournaments. It will be tough for fed to win back to back to back again this year no doubt, but he missed the whole Asian swing last year so he has plenty of opportunity to pick up more points. It will be an interesting finish to the season, especially if Rafa can be in the mix towards the end of the year.

Fat hope that Murray will take out Nole all the time. Anyway there's only two Masters that Nole and Murray could meet. Nole is playing at Beijing while I suppose Murray will defend his title at Tokyo. If Fed is going to Shanghai then he's asking for trouble, unless he's forgoing his Paris title defence. So I don't think Fed is going to Shanghai, and even if he's going, he may end up like 2010 Shanghai, faces one of them in the SF and then loses to the other in the final. Don't forget too there're Berdych, Tsonga and Delpo to make things even more complicated. If Nole and Murray are not playing at Basel/Valencia, that leave them fully rested for Paris, unlike Fed who has to play at Basel the week before.

At the WTF, if Murray and Nole fall in the same group, it would not benefit Fed, as he most probably has to beat one in the SF and the other in the Final. This Nole and Murray are not the same Nole/Murray of 2010.

Agreed, but Fed is still the king indoors. He beat Nole, Muzza back to back at Wimby so there is no reason to believe he can't do it again. Like you say though, Tsonga, Delpo, Berdy, Ferrer are all worthy opponents and can't be overlooked. The depth in men's tennis is so great at the moment.

brothy, there is a reason Fed won more tourneys than anybody in 2012: he played in small tourneys he would normally avoid just so he could beat Sampras's #1 record. He accomplished that. Do you seriously see him repeating that schedule in 2013? Rafa is on record as saying rankings don' matter to him, Muzza will be keen to keep his Slam win momentum going and Nole, he just looooves the big stage! So, where does that leave Fed? Gathering ranking points in Hamburg and Estoril? C'mon.

The Slams are where it's at for these boys, rankings be damned!

Federer isn't going any where..he may end up reaching QF and SF of slams, if draw opens up he may win another GS..for federer reaching QF is bit easy because there aren't any good players that can take out federer in round of 16 sure he may struggle but won't be defeated...the problem comes in QF, this year he is drawn against Berdych 2 times in US & RG that's tough ask..berdy is a tough guy for top 4 no body wants him in his quarter any way if draw opens up little bit until SF then fedex can dream of his chances ..if somehow fedex reaches finals of any of AO,W & US then he will have a good chance..

Glad to see realism from you, chenna21. The statement: "he may end up reaching QF and SF of Slams. How far would the draw have to open up for him to get to a final? I'll tell you: Rafa would have to be sidelined like now AND Nole and Muzza would have been drawn in the same half, met in the semis and literally killed each other there. Chances of this scenario panning out are slim to none, IMHO.

Agree however, Fed ain't going anywhere, but his days of Slam domination are gone..........

Soon there won't be any players left to hand Roger matches on a plate because they are retiring by the day. Ferrero is the next to go.

Wondering if Andy will have a bit of a slump now. AND he is nursing a poorly big toe....ouch.
On slam performance Nole is best player this year, surely?
Loved JCF and always think of claycourter when his name comes up. A brilliant poster, nobody seems to know what happened to him. How ephemeral this virtual world is.

^^I hope not Deuce, he doesn't have the time for a 3 year lapse a la Novak, his career will be mostly over by then. He's more mature also so i dont see it anyway.
The Asian swing should put him back into the, er swing of things.

@ s(T)winge....;)
Didn't mean a BIG slump, just a weeny one, while he gets used to being a Grand Slam Winner and an Olympic Gold Medalist....:) :) :) Didn't really get to enjoy gold medal.
Back home now and think he's going to be in Dunblane this weekend. Hope there's a massive celebration.
How long does a toe nail take to grow any way? Due in Asia beginning of October?

Don't see how Muzz can pass Fed (or Nole for that matter) this year. He's 2200 points behind Fed in the Race to London (year-to-date).

Nole, Muzz and Fed are all scheduled to play in the two remaining Masters 1000 and the WTF. Muzz is playing two 500 series (Japan, Basel) whereas Nole (China) and Fed (Basel) are playing only one. Muzz would have to have a net gain of over 2200 points over Fed with 4500 points maximum left this year. Doubt that will happen with this being indoor season.

#ShoppingMallTennisGOAT

^^^ Murray will not be no.1 this year but no.2 is a possibility. I don't know whether he's playing Bangkok or not this year. Murray can make use of whatever remaining of this season to gain as many points as possible, paving the way for him to make a move for the top position next year. He should make full use of this opportunity when Rafa is not around and will be rusty when he's back next year. He has 1880 points to defend during the first half of the hard court season and very little to defend on clay. Nole has the most to defend next year, 3540 on hard courts and 2580 on clay; Fed has 2855 on hard and 2080 on clay. So Murray can gain some points next year to overtake both of them, if he gathers enough points now and keeps close to Nole/Fed.

Not a probability though. He is not scheduled to play Bangkok. Regardless, I don't see a realistic scenario whereby he can make up the current 2200 point differential between himself and Fed prior to year end.

#WishfulThinking