Roger Federer's Upcoming Schedule Includes A Trip To Indian Wells, But Is The French Open In His Plans?

[Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Roger Federer had lost two sets in 2017. He has lost three sets this year.]

It must feel great to consistently be on top of your game. For the ageless Roger Federer, these are special times, as he recently became the oldest No. 1 in tennis history, thus effectively silencing all skeptics who may have assumed Father Time would start catching up to him by 2018.

The 36-year-old is a perfect 12-0 this year, cruising to a Grand Slam title in Melbourne and rolling through the Rotterdam Open in February. It's been a particularly impressive run, as Federer has only conceded three sets this year.

Federer, who boasts a staggering 20 Grand Slam titles on his resume, officially reclaimed his spot as the World No. 1 after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the Rotterdam final on Feb. 18. But he had the top spot wrapped up after beating Robin Haase in the quarterfinals, adding just a bit more motivation to close out the tournament in style.

“Reaching No. 1 is one of, if not the ultimate, achievement in our sport,” Federer said after defeating Haase. “Sometimes, at the beginning, you just kind of get there because you played so well but later you have to fight for it and have to wrestle it back from someone who deserves to be there. When you are older you maybe have to put double the work in. This maybe means the most to me in my career.”

It has helped that injuries to Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have dropped the two stars in the ATP Rankings to No. 13 and No. 21, respectively. It also doesn't hurt that there hasn't been a legitimate tennis phenom to emerge on the tour in several years.

But it's hard to downplay Federer's achievement. While he is only 345 points ahead of No. 2 Rafael Nadal, the Swiss legend is a whopping 5,145 points ahead of No. 3 Marin Cilic.

Meanwhile, he's been affored an extended rest. Federer opted to attend the Laureus awards ceremony in Monte Carlo instead of accepting a wild-card invitation to the Dubai Championships. On Saturday, No. 23 Roberto Bautista Agut defeated No. 15 Lucas Pouille to capture the title.

Up next for Federer is a trip to Southern California to compete in the Indian Wells Masters. He won't have to worry about a potential showdown with Nadal, who backed out of the tournament due to an injured right hip.

But will Federer be up to the task of facing Nadal in the French Open? Federer hasn't competed at Roland Garros since 2015. The tournament can be taxing on the body so Federer may feel it's in his best interest to look ahead to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open than endure long matches on the red clay.

Still, Federer has proven he's a competitor, and even the daunting prospect of facing Nadal, or possibly in-form stars like Djokovic and Cilic, may not deter him from another appearance in Paris. He claimed this week that the Grand Slam is still on his mind.

"I dream of coming back to Roland Garros," Federer told RMC Sport at the Laureus awards.

“[But] I do not know, I will decide that in April after Indian Wells."

Winning a French Open title would basically be the icing on the cake for Federer. He hasn't won the tournament since 2009 and hasn't advanced to the final since 2011, as Nadal has essentially owned the tournament. The Spaniard has left Paris with titles in 10 of the last 13 years.

How effectively Federer performs at next week's highly competitive Indian Wells might provide the best indication of his plans. He has won the tournament five times, and is the defending champion, but most of tennis' top stars will be looking to steal his crown so he might receive a tougher challenge than in Rotterdam.

The group might include Djokovic, who could make his comeback after an elbow injury sidelined him on Jan. 22.