With the U.S. Open starting up this week, tennis fans from around the world are glued to their TV sets wondering if this is the year, if the tennis player of our generation finally falls and passes the torch on to next tennis giant.

But sorry you patriotic Andy Roddick fans, Federer isn’t going anywhere, not yet.

Last year was the year when everyone started talking about how long Federer has left, after only winning one major. And it was the Wimbledon loss to Rafael Nadal last summer that hurt the most.

Federer has won three of his last four majors, and only once has he not made a final in his last 17 majors, that being last year in Australia.

He is like a god, and when mortals like Andy Murray and Andy Roddick test him on the court, he is expected to win and he does.

This U.S. Open is a little different because the chase to catch Pete Sampras’ 15 majors is over. Federer is now entering uncharted territory hunting for his 17th major championship.

With the U.S. Open being the last major of this season, lets look back to last season and compare the two. Federer won one major last year, and that was in New York. He did make the final, though, in Wimbledon and Roland Garros, but it was Nadal who beat him in those two finals.

And with Nadal’s injury this season, Federer stepped up and won the French Open, a tournament Nadal has won five years in a row.

He also held his ground against Roddick in a 30-game fifth set, in what will become one of the most historic Wimbledon victories of all time.

Last year didn’t mark the end of an era for one tennis great, it was just an interruption to a storied career. Federer easily has the ability to win five more majors over the next two to three seasons.

Therefore, I encourage all tennis fans to root for their favorite player over the next two weeks. But I can assure one thing — no one is going to beat Federer. So if you’re a gambling person, I have just given you the winner two weeks in advance.

But for the underdog fans, and in case something unnatural happens to Federer, Murray, Roddick and Nadal will be right there in the mix. Don’t expect anyone in this year’s final to not be ranked in the top 10 in the world.

On the women’s side of things, it will be the lovely Maria Sharapova that will carry the trophy off the courts.

Sharapova has had some tough breaks with injuries and some not-so-great finishes at Wimbledon and Roland Garros. But expect her precious serve to be dominant and ace-worthy.

It’s going to be a great major to finish up the championship season, so forget about football, tune in. I mean the Jags are blacked out this week anyway