Marcos Baghdatis is one of the well-liked players on the ATP World Tour and beloved in his native Cyprus. A veteran who has built a reputation as one of the more entertaining players on the tour, he is considered a dangerous competitor by his peers.

Baghdatis might best be remembered as an rising 20-year-old in 2006, when he exploded on the scene as an unseeded player at the Australian Open. There, he defeated third seed Andy Roddick and fourth seed David Nalbandian before ultimately falling to world No. 1 Roger Federer in a four-set final.

Baghdatis built upon his success in Melbourne later that year with a strong run at Wimbledon, where he defeated Andy Murray and Lleyton Hewitt before falling to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. At the US Open, he battled Andre Agassi under the lights in an exciting five-setter. He fell to the veteran American, but gained a new contingency of fans in New York who appreciated his fight in what turned out to be Agassi's last victory on tour.

With those strong results at majors, a title in Beijing and victories against other elite opponents, such as Tomas Berdych and Gael Monfils, Baghdatis moved into the ATP top eight. A bright future appeared to lie ahead. And he would win three more titles while becomng a fixture inside the top 40 for most of the ensuing seasons.

However, as memorable as 2006 was, 2013 has been forgettable in a year where Baghdatis has seen his ranking fall to No. 97 after starting the year at No. 31. He has lost in the opening round in 15 tournaments this year while struggling against most top players. After defeating Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet within the first several weeks of the season, Baghdatis has only defeated one other player inside the top 20 (Kei Nishikori in July) during the rest of 2013.

Baghdatis has seen his ranking drop before, primarily due to injuries that forced him to miss tournaments late in 2008 and in 2009. He fell as low as No. 151 in July 2009 but was able to work his way back in the years following.  However, health does not appear to be a factor in his current slump, for the Cypriot has played a full slate of tournaments in 2013.

This begs the question as to what lies behind his poor play. Some highlight his age. But, at 28, he is younger than many successful players on the tour such as David Ferrer, Roger Federer and Tommy Haas, who are all above 30 but still in the top 15.

Others question his fatherhood as a factor. Baghdatis became a father in October 2012, which changed his life dramatically. Is it possible that this lifestyle change off the court has affected his success on the court? On the other hand, Federer and Haas have successfully balanced life as a father with life as a touring professional.

Haas became a father for the first time in July of 2010 when he was ranked 104th in the world. He has improved to his current ranking of No.12 at the age of 35. Federer became a father of twins in July 2009, when he held the No. 1 ranking. He did not relinquish that ranking until July 2010 and recaptured it again in the summer of 2012. Since becoming a father, Federer has won two majors and a number of non-major titles. While it is unfair to compare Baghdatis to Federer as a player, these results underscore an example of balancing fatherhood with a productive tennis career.

Clearly, balancing priorities is a huge factor when off-court circumstances collide with on-court play. Professional tennis players must travel the world consistently. To maintain a solid ranking, they must regularly compete effectively in tournaments while leaving their families for extended periods. This is the reality for parents who happen to be professional tennis players.

Only Marcos Baghdatis can truly speak to whether being a father has affected his play on the tour, but it appears that he is at a crossroads. If his ranking continues to plummet, he will be thrust into qualifying draws and Challenger tournaments to stay afloat. Nevertheless, we have seen glimpses of his abilities that make him capable of launching himself back towards the top. The direction in which he proceeds will offer a compelling story going into 2014.