The ‘ultra special’ Grand Slam title Roger Federer won which he said was ‘so unexpected’

Roger Federer’s ‘ultra special’ Grand Slam triumph in 2017

The drought would last until 2017, when, in Melbourne, Federer beat his great rival, Rafael Nadal, to secure his fifth Australian Open and 18th major title.

Reflecting on the final in a 2022 interview with Eurosport Tennis, Federer said: “In 2017, my victory when I was on the comeback was something ultra special.

“It was definitely a top-three tennis moment in my life. This was so high up there because it came so unexpectedly.

“It was against Rafa in the final. It just had everything. At the end, the moment showed how much it meant to me, and still today.”

Roger Federer’s improved results against Rafael Nadal after 2014

Prior to 2015, Nadal actually had a rather dominant head-to-head record against Federer, leading 23-10 in the rivalry.

However, Federer would go on to win six of their last seven meetings on the ATP Tour, one of which was the 2017 Australian Open final.

Federer won their bout in the 2015 Basel final and enjoyed a five-match winning streak against the Spaniard, which ultimately ended in the 2019 Roland Garros semifinals.

Their very last clash in professional tennis came in the 2019 Wimbledon semifinals, where Federer took the victory.

The ‘Maestro’ advanced to the final in London that season, but was then defeated by Novak Djokovic.