Federer savors 18th Slam title
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA When a champion experiences the best his sport has to offer a record 18 times, there tends to be an understanding of how fleeting those moments of pure joy can be in the grand scheme of life.
So when experiencing a great victory, a champion tries to store the grand achievement, in slow motion, in his memory bank.
At least that is how Roger Federer, 35, suggests he handles the milestones of his life, including his latest successful quest of glory — a 6- 4, 3- 6, 6- 1, 3- 6, 6- 3 win Sunday against Rafael Nadal, 30, his oldest rival in the game, in final of the Australian Open.
This latest victory enabled Federer to increase his record of Grand Slam tournament titles — the biggest prize in tennis— to an impressive 18.
“You don’t know if these moments ever come back,” Federer said. “Everything is put together in just that one moment ( of victory).”
No superstar athlete has a guarantee he or she will win again — there’s always going to be a last time.
And when you’re in your mid- 30s and missed the last half of the previous season because of a knee injury, realism can’t be ignored. Federer isn’t getting younger, he’s getting older — that’s just a fact of life.
As the sands of time flow through the hourglass, it’s hard not to wonder wheth-
er tennis fans will ever witness the best of the best — Federer and Nadal — go at each other that many more times, if at all.
While Federer insists no one should read into his on- court comment “If I am back next year” as a hidden message, he did want to use themoment to acknowledge how grateful he is, just in case there isn’t a next time.
“You know, knowing that I have only so much tennis left in me, if I do get injured … who knows what happens,” he said.
“You never know when your next Grand Slam is going to be, if ever.
“You never know if you’re going to have an opportunity at this stage; I felt I could thank so many people at once.
“I hope I can come back, of course. That’smy hope right now.”
Federer first played against Nadal in a Miami tournament in 2004 — Federer was 22 and Nadal 17 at the time — and Nadal won that day.
It’s 13 years later, and Nadal leads their meetings 23- 12. But Federer can keep in his mind he won the latest of their classic battles.
“This one is definitely a milestone in my career, there’s no doubt about it,” Federer said. “He’s caused me the most problems inmy career.”
“Rafa definitely has been very particular in my career, I think he made me a better player,” Federer added. “It remains for me the ultimate challenge to play against him.”
Federer then was off to celebrate with the suggestion he’s still young enough to be out all night long.
“We’re going to be partying like rock stars tonight,” he said, smiling. “I can tell you that.”