In 2013, Roger Federer won a grand total of one tournament and reached a total of three finals. It took him 17 tournaments to do this.

Four months and just five tournaments into 2014, Federer has already grabbed one title (Dubai) and reached two other finals (Brisbane, Indian Wells). Much of his success has been attributed to his new 98-square-inch racket, his renewed health, and his partnership with Swedish tennis legend Stefan Edberg.

But all of those changes happened off the court. While they have done their part in raising Federer from his 2013 slump, there are clear improvements that Federer has made on court that have aided in his 2014 revival.

First, Federer’s backhand has been far less vulnerable in 2014 than it has in 2013. Not only is he shanking fewer backhands, but he is handling pace better on the backhand side and swinging through his backhand with more conviction. Federer can credit some of the improvements on the backhand to his new racket, but it would be hard to argue that his overall confidence level doesn’t have something to do with it.

In 2013, errant Federer backhands became a staple of protracted and fast-paced rallies. Opponents have had a much tougher time breaking down Federer’s backhand in 2014, which will become increasingly valuable for the Swiss as the clay season of high bounces and long rallies begins.

Second, Federer’s defense is often overlooked because he is an offensive mastermind and one of the greatest shot-makers in tennis history. While his defensive skills cannot be placed in the same category as a Rafael Nadal or a Novak Djokovic, they are vastly underrated. In 2013, though, they declined as Federer appeared to be a step or two slower than in previous seasons.

Recovering from the back injury that hindered him then, Federer’s defensive skills this year have looked better than ever. Nadal and Djokovic often defend by sliding into shots with open-stance forehands and backhands, something Federer has been less inclined to do throughout his career. In 2014, Federer has begun to turn defense into offense by sliding into open-stance forehands and backhands, a skill that should serve him well on the red dirt.

Finally, the most significant improvement in Federer’s game in 2014 has been his ability to play the big points well. Federer has raised his level of play when it counts the most. Against Djokovic in Dubai, for example, he had dropped the first set 6-3 and faced a break point at 2-2 in the second set. At that crucial stage, he fashioned a half-volley down-the-line backhand passing shot at the end of a blitzing 11-shot rally.

In another example from that match, Federer broke Djokovic in his opening service game of the final set. He then faced two break points of his own in the next game. Federer saved both with two service winners against the sport’s best returner.

In 2013, by contrast, Federer’s play at the start of the final set cost him several big matches. In the Basel final, Juan Martin del Potro broke Federer in his first service game of that set and never looked back, winning the set 6-4. In the round-robin stage of the World Tour Finals, Federer also was broken in the first game of the final set against Djokovic, a set he would lose 6-2.

Eliminating these setbacks late in matches is something Federer will need to continue to do, particularly against the top guys. Giving up a break early in a final set to Gilles Simon is far different than giving up that same break to Rafael Nadal.

With Roland Garros less than two months away, Federer’s primary goal should be to cement his status as one of the top four seeds there. If Federer finds himself as a No. 5-8 seed, he may be forced to play Djokovic or Nadal in the quarterfinals, which would be a less than ideal scenario.

But one more if. If Federer is able to maintain his current level of health and form, there is no reason why he can’t play for many years to come. Federer fans should breathe more easily now than they did in the middle of 2013.