Federer is still behind Pete Sampras on the list for all-time cumulative weeks on the ATP Tour but if the Swiss Maestro can be the best on tour at Roland Garros and the All England Club - that could change.
Roger Federer, the 2009 French Open champion, is considered to be the greatest tennis player of all time according to the opinions of many, tennis fans and pundits alike. However from one important perspective the Swiss Maestro is not number one as he is second on the list for most cumulative weeks on top of the ATP rankings.
Federer has a chance to catch Pete Sampras and break his record in that category soon as the current world number three is just one week behind Sampras on the all-time list.
If Federer can beat Rafael Nadal in the 2011 French Open final and then proceed to win Wimbledon, the Grand Slam where Federer has achieved his best historical results, then the Swiss Maestro would stand an excellent chance of being top ranked once again.
The scenarios are complex regarding post-Wimbledon rankings partly because of the tournaments that take place between the French Open and Wimbledon however Federer suffered a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon 2010 at the hands of Tomas Berdych. With Novak Djokovic making the semis at Wimbledon last season and with Nadal winning at the All England Club outright last year, Federer is the player with the most room for growth.
Federer is certainly not a lock at all to win the French Open final and perhaps it's premature to consider Wimbledon ranking implications before that result is finalized.
However the possibility of Federer resuming as the world number one by early July is very much alive especially if he defeats Nadal at Roland Garros on Sunday.
