Roger Federer has seen his quest to add to his 17 Grand Slam titles stall over the past three years.
The 34-year-old is the most accomplished player in the history of the men’s game, with three more majors than his closest rivals Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal.
Federer dominated the game from 2004 to 2010, winning 15 of their 28 available slams, including his imperious run of form at Wimbledon where he collected six crowns in eight years.
The Swiss was far and above his competition until the arrival of Nadal on the world scene and the two players enjoyed one of the greatest rivalries seen in the history of the sport.
Their epic match in the 2008 final of Wimbledon is arguably the finest contest seen at the All England Club as the Spaniard ended Fededer’s run of five-straight titles.
Since 2010, Federer has seen a decline in his brilliance, adding only his seventh success at Wimbledon to his collection of Grand Slam titles with victory over Andy Murray four years ago.
The rise of Novak Djokovic has prevented the Swiss from bolstering his titles due to defeats in three finals to the Serbian, including back-to-back losses at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015.
The 28-year-old has taken Federer’s mantle as the dominant player in the men’s game, winning five of the last seven Grand Slams, including his three wins over the Swiss.
Djokovic is now only six titles behind the 34-year-old and could be within striking distance of surpassing him with a clean sweep of the crowns in 2016 following his triumph at the Australian Open in January.
The Serb’s brilliance is all the more reason for Federer to return to form in the slams to ensure his legacy, starting in June at the French Open where he has not always enjoyed success.
He has only secured the title once at Roland Garros in 17 attempts, while he has struggled to progress into the latter stages of the competition over the past three years.
The latest tennis odds reflect his difficulties on clay as he is backed at only 25/1 to clinch the French Open crown for the second time in his career.
Federer has been affected by injuries this season as he missed the Indian Wells Masters following a knee operation, while a virus forced him out of action in Miami.
The 34-year-old returned to the court in Monte Carlo and registered victories over Guillermo Garcia Lopez and Roberto Bautista Agut before being dumped out of the competition in the quarter-finals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The Swiss has time to find his form in the ATP 1000 events in Rome and Madrid, where he has lifted the trophy six times out of possible 14, including his first title on tour back in 2002.
Federer still has the hunger to compete for further titles and he will get the chance to test his mettle for a surge of late glory when his campaign at the French Open begins.
