Federer: Ranking system, baseline play holding back up-and-comers

Having held off the field to win a record eighth title at Wimbledon, Roger Federer delved into some of the reasons why he and the other members of the Big Four aren't getting more competition from up-and-coming players.

All of the men's top five—Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka—are now older than 30, and the youngest Slam champion on the ATP tour is 28 years old.

Federer returned this season from a knee injury and is now among the oldest players to win a Grand Slam.

"Every generation is different. Since my generation and Rafa’s generation, yes, the next one hasn’t been strong enough to push all of us out," he said at a press conference the morning following his win at Wimbledon. "That's been helpful for us to stick around.

"But I also do believe that [the] way the points system is structured, and all the big points really only starting from the semis on­­­­—a young guy, if he wants to make a breakthrough, he can beat me, or any top player, but if he doesn't make a run to the finals or win a tournament, he's not really making any move in the rankings.

"And that also has a part to do with it, because as a young player, it's not that easy to win five straight matches.”

Several years ago, when the ATP Masters 1000, 500 and 250-level events were introduced, the ATP rankings were changed so that points approximately doubled per round and per tournament level—a bigger jump than the previous system. Grand Slam winners get 2,000 points, the highest amount offered.

"What I feel is a bit wrong in the ranking system—let's say at the Grand Slam level, if you have a great run playing the quarters, like Andy did,” Federer said. “For instance, he fought, he did, he [got beaten by Sam Querrey] in five sets—walks away with 360 points, and I walk away with 2,000 points. I just feel like the gap's too big. It's only been like this since a few years."

He did add, however, that there’s some merit to it.

“The good thing also is, the best player in the world should be the one also winning the biggest tournaments,” he said. “And that's why also I understand we have a lot of points at the Masters 1000s, the Slams and the World Tour Finals."

The 19-time Grand Slam champion also recalled the even older rankings system, when players got more points for defeating top-ranked players.

"I grew up with bonus points, believe it or not, in the 90s," he said, laughing. "I remember playing Pat Rafter on Suzanne Lenglen in Paris, and I was playing for—it was double points in Grand Slams, and I think it was 45 points [extra for] a player between 2 and 5, so it was like 90 points just to beat Pat. And then take the points of the round.

"Of course, sometimes you couldn't defend those points the following year, so it's all complex, but it was great [for] a big-court player to play a big guy and beat him there."

But Federer also pointed to on-court reasons for why few new players have come up on the men's tour, saying that it has been difficult for them to beat the top names and make big runs at the big events.

"And because all our different playing styles at the top—put Stan in there and [Marin] Cilic in there, the Big Four—I just think it's hard for a young guy to make a run through that,” he said. “By virtue of that, it's just hard to break through. I do believe the depth in men's tennis is as great as it's ever been."

Slower playing conditions require more consistency, which is tougher for younger players.

"You've got to hit a lot of great shots to come through a Murray or a Djokovic, and especially five sets, it's favorable for top guys," said Federer. "Then again, they're very different. Andy has a lot of variety in his way. But yes, a slugfest with Andy and Novak from the baseline, or Rafa, for that matter, yeah, good luck. If you're 50 in the world, it isn't so simple."

Instead of attempting to do that, Federer is calling for players to come to the net more and play varied tennis—especially on grass, which he described as being quite speedy during the second week of Wimbledon.

"But they could choose not to play that way too. If the coaches taught them differently, maybe," he said. "But I know you can easily get sucked into that mode where you don't want to attack. But if you can't volley you're not going to go to the net. I've played almost every player here that wouldn't serve and volley.

"It's frightening to me, to see this at this level, that when I look at the stats at whatever round it is, and I see that the guy I'm going to face has played two percent of serve and volleys through the Championships. I'm like, ‘OK, I know he's not going to serve and volley.’ Which is great."

Even though it may have helped him to an eighth title at the All England Club, Federer said he would like "to see more coaches, more players taking chances up at net, because good things do happen at net. But you have to want to be up there, and you have to spend some time up there to feel good."

Federer, who is back up to third in the rankings, did not drop a set on his way to the title.

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