Roger Federer has 57 career singles titles to his name. He has 13 Grand Slam titles, one shy of the all-time leader Peter Sampras.

But Federer is not No. 1 in the world. He held the top spot, incredibly, from the first week of February 2004 until August 2008. Now Rafael Nadal is the top-ranked player in tennis. Federer, meanwhile is 27 years old. With more than a month to go until the start of the next ATP season, one of the main questions until then will be whether or not the Swiss will ever regain his No. 1 ranking.

A number of important people in the world of tennis have weighed in on the issue, including Federer himself.

“I obviously have a little bit of mixed feelings at the end of the season,” said the Swiss. “But I think it gives me the opportunity to start over all new again next year. I need to take a good rest and plan things for next year. I need to prepare well and I know I can get better.”

More importantly, he added, “My target is to regain the No 1 ranking and win more Grand Slam titles than Sampras. “To be two, three, four, five, 25, it doesn’t really matter a whole lot. It’s either No. 1 or being in the main draw.”

Federer also said that the sound of being No. 2 is just weird, and he will use it as motivation to seize the No. 1 spot in 2009. “It doesn’t change a whole lot, I just don’t like the ring of it when I’m being introduced on Centre Court saying, ‘and this is the number two in the world,’” he explained. “It just sounds wrong. Either I’m number one or I’m a grand slam champion, but I’m not number two. It just sounds a bit awkward for me because I’ve been up there for so, so long,” he said. It sounds unfamiliar but at the same time it is a challenge to get back where I was and I think next year will be a good chance.”

Andy Murray, who finished runner-up to Federer at this year’s U.S. Open and won the Masters Series Madrid to cement his firm place in the Top 4, agrees that Federer has a good chance of becoming No. 1 again. The Scot really thinks, however, that both Federer and Nadal will be tough to overcome.

“I don’t see a whole lot of weaknesses,” Murray said of the top two players’ games. “Federer is, I’m sure, going to want to try to get his No. 1 back, and I’m sure he’s going to want to try and regain his Wimbledon trophy. Nadal, now that he’s won Wimbledon, the French, I’m sure he’s gonna give it his best effort to get ready for Australia and US Open are going to be huge for him. They’re definitely going to be top five next year. Probably 1 and 2 again. They’re playing that well and that consistently all the time.

“I think Nadal and Federer are much, much better on other surfaces than I am,” admitted Murray. “I know I need to improve my clay-court game and my grass-court game next year. I think on hard [surfaces] I’m not that far behind them but I know on the other surfaces I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Tim Henman, who retired in 2007, thinks Murray is on his way to the No. 1 ranking in the world.

“Andy is going to achieve bigger and better things than I ever did, and I’m really pleased for him,” said the Brit. “I believe that, if Andy stays fit and healthy, there’s a chance he will go on to become the world number one.”

Henman added, “He has been playing such great tennis since Wimbledon and has picked up so many points that he is now closing in on (Novak) Djokovic, the world number three. And maybe he will go on to overtake (Rafael) Nadal and (Roger) Federer as well. There is a lot of tough competition at the top now as Nadal, Federer and Djokovic are great players – but I think that Andy can get to number one.”

Former tennis great Stefan Edberg, who won six Grand Slam titles, thinks that there is life in Federer yet. “I would say it is nice for Federer to have such a season as he must have realized the need to be more offensive in his game,” said the Swede, whose illustrious career came to an end in 1996. “He has to play more serve and volley and get in more variation so that he can come back to where he was.

“Players have realized that he is beatable, but they have to consider that he is still among the best players tennis has ever had. Obviously, things will be tougher for him, but he still has a few more years to go and during this time he will pick up a couple more Grand Slams.”

We’ll have a better idea of Federer’s chances to take back the top spot with the beginning of the Australian Open 2009, where his quest to get it back will resume. It’s a good opportunity for Federer to make up some points in the rankings, because earlier this year he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Nadal also only made it to the semifinals, but it’s no certainty that Nadal will make it that far again since the Australian Open is contested on hard courts. Furthermore, Nadal has never even made it to the final, while Federer has hoisted the trophy three times. Assuming mononucleosis does not derail Federer’s chances as it did in 2008, look for Federer to get off to a roaring start following a nice two-month offseason.

“I need to get things in order right from the Australian Open, a great start would boost my confidence but it will be a tough tournament with the other guys also trying to do the same.”