Roger Federer set for 21-year ranking low following Australian Open

Roger Federer will be ranked at least 29th in the world, if not lower, after the Australian Open when the ATP rankings update on 31st January.

The last time the 20-time Major champion was that far down in the ATP rankings was all the way back on 22nd January 2001, when Federer was just 19 years old and yet to win his first tour title.

That first title was the 2001 Milan Indoors, which he won two weeks later in early February 2001, the 40-year-old since going on to claim 102 more career ATP tour singles titles.

After Melbourne this year, 29th in the best case scenario for Federer. Five players ranked 30 to 40 in the world are within 350 ranking points of overtaking the Swiss.

Carlos Alcaraz will pass Federer if he reaches the fourth round, and Frances Tiafoe will do so if he progresses to the quarter-finals, as would Alexander Bublik.

Of course, this consequence was only a matter of time as long as Federer is away from the court with injury as he slowly drops ranking points that he cannot defend.

The six-time Australian Open has not played since Wimbledon in July, when he suffered a straight sets defeat to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals, a match with ended with a 6-0 set.

Federer is missing the Australian Open for a second year running by not playing in Melbourne this month, having been out injured for the 2021 event too.

His last match Down Under was the 2020 semi-final against eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

The Swiss lost in straight sets 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-3 that day before sitting out the next 13 months.

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