More life yet in Federer’s dancing feet after major No. 18

Roger Federer needed his exhausted legs for one last big effort Sunday night — going out dancing to celebrate his remarkable 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

And after seeing the sun rise over Melbourne, then celebrating some more with his children as they woke up in his family’s hotel suite, the man many call the greatest tennis player ever looked ahead from this stunning comeback title and spoke of adding yet another at this year’s Wimbledon.

The 35-year-old Federer surprised himself with this victory, seeded No. 17 and in his first tournament back from a six-month injury layoff. So he wasn’t going to let the achievement go without a fitting celebration.

“I was home by sunrise, which was good,” the still-beaming Swiss star said a day after his five-set win over Rafael Nadal. “It was nice to see the sun rise over Melbourne and get into the room. It was a long night but it was a lot of fun. Everyone was in such a good mood. It was a special day, a special ... couple of weeks really, and it finished off in a great way — being silly and having fun and forgetting about everything. All of the pressure just went away and we were just all celebrating. It was great.

Federer said he felt OK, but he was tired for the traditional championship photo shoot.

“My legs hurt like mad and my back’s stiff now, too, because I couldn’t take any treatment, plus I was dancing,” he said. “I’m still on the high. I’m going to crash eventually but that’s OK.”

Federer, who confessed to being more of “a fun dancer” than a good one, said he was thrilled his two-year-old twin boys Leo and Lennart got to experience their father winning a Grand Slam for the first time, while seven-yearold daughters Myla Rose and Charlene Riva were “super excited” to see his trophy.

“As I walked in they woke up, so that was a bit of a weird moment,” he said. “But still it was so great because they were in such a good mood when they woke up and I walked in with the trophy.”

They weren’t the only ones to grasp the significance of perhaps Federer’s most unlikely Grand Slam win, his first since Wimbledon in 2012.