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The 36-year-old claims his 20th major trophy at the 2018 Australian Open
It was 2003 Wimbledon when a talented 21-year-old named Roger Federer — who had not advanced past the quarter-finals at the Grand Slams in 14 tries — finally broke through to win his first major title. The Swiss sobbed with joy.
“To lift the trophy is something you don't expect. But when it happens, it's, for me, very tough with the emotions,” Federer told the media 15 years ago. “I'm just happy to be on the board. It's so nice, if I look at all the players who have won here, a lot have been idols to me. Just to be on the board with [Bjorn] Borg and these people, it's just nice, to be a part of history at Wimbledon and in Grand Slams in general.”
Little did Federer know that he was just getting started. And nearly 15 years later, on Sunday evening, the inimitable Swiss raised his sixth Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after beating sixth seed Marin Cilic to win the 2018 Australian Open, extending his Grand Slam championship titles record to 20.

“Winning is just an absolute dream come true. The fairytale continues for us, for me,” Federer told the crowd on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night. “After the great year I had last year, it’s incredible.”
Once again, Federer choked back tears. Some things never change. Tears and more importantly, triumph, for the greatest player of all time.
Federer
The emotions show that Federer — however hard it is to believe sometimes given his accomplishments — is human. He even admitted battling nerves ahead of his record 30th Grand Slam championship final.
“I was so bloody nervous all day. It was eating me up inside,” Federer said in his post-final press conference. “That's why, when it was all over, I was just so relieved.”
Federer did show some nerves in the fourth set, uncharacteristically losing his break advantage as the trophy loomed in the distance. But he showed his champions’ guile by completely changing the momentum in the fifth set against a dangerous opponent in Cilic who had found his range.
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The 36-year-old even left the namesake of the court he won on, Rod Laver, scrambling to capture the moment when Federer lifted the trophy.
“I didn't see that through my thick tears, that he was taking a picture of me crying,” Federer said. “When I start thinking about what I was going to say, every subject I touch actually is very meaningful and very emotional… I hoped over time in the speech I would start to relax a little bit, but I couldn't.”
It is fitting that for a player who has provided the tennis world some of its greatest thrills, all Federer wants to do is keep giving it more.
"You guys. You fill the stadiums. You make me nervous. You make me go out and practice,” Federer told the crowd during the trophy ceremony. “Thank you for everything."
Nobody could criticise the Swiss if he never wins a major title again — he has broken countless records and by virtue of Sunday’s victory became the second-oldest Grand Slam championship winner in the Open Era (Ken Rosewall, 1972 Australian Open).
But at 36, Federer is still going strong and having won three of the past five majors, does not appear to be slowing down. The victory against Cilic moves the father of four to within 155 points of Rafael Nadal for the top spot in the ATP Rankings — which Federer has not occupied since 4 November 2012 — and also ties him with Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic atop the Australian Open titles list at six apiece.
Roger Federer's Australian Open Titles
Year Won Opponent Score
2004 Marat Safin 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-2
2006 Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2
2007 Fernando Gonzalez 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4
2010 Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11)
2017 Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
2018 Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
But equalling another record is not what stands out to the 96-time tour-level titlist.
“It's about living the emotions that I went through tonight again at the trophy ceremony, going through a tough rollercoaster match, five-setter against Cilic, who is a great player, and then getting No. 6 here, No. 20 overall. It's just a very special moment,” Federer said. “Defending my title from last year, sort of the fairytale continues. That's what stands out for me, maybe not equalling Emerson or Novak. They had their own unbelievable careers. I admire what they're doing and have done with ‘Emmo’. Yeah, it's definitely a very special moment in my life again.”
It isn’t that long ago that for perhaps the first time since winning that 2003 Wimbledon title, Federer’s status appeared uncertain. A year ago, the Swiss arrived at Melbourne Park after a six-month injury layoff, seeded 17th. His last major victory? 2012 Wimbledon.
If that was the beginning of the end, Federer would have still been considered one of if not the greatest ever, his awards cabinet filled with 17 major trophies. But one year and three Grand Slam championship victories later, and the World No. 2 may be playing his best tennis yet at the tender age of 36.
Federer
How long can this Federer Renaissance last?
“No idea. Honest, I don't know. I have no idea,” Federer said. “I can't believe it myself.”
Here is to hoping it continues, because the day Roger Federer hangs up his racquets, it won't be the Swiss in tears — it will be the entire tennis world.

A look back at the biggest storylines of the 2018 Australian Open
(1) Federer Cements Grand Slam Legacy
For many years, winning 20 major titles seemed like an impossible feat. The longevity needed in a player's career and the consistency at such a high level would be nothing short of astonishing. Enter Roger Federer.

On Sunday, the Swiss secured an unprecedented 20th Grand Slam trophy with a five-set victory over Marin Cilic, tying Ken Rosewall's record of three major titles won at the age of 35 and over. Moreover, Federer's sixth Australian Open victory pulls him level with Novak Djokovic and Roy Emerson atop the all-time titles list Down Under.

Now four major titles clear of Rafael Nadal and six ahead of third-placed Pete Sampras, Federer continues to separate himself from the rest of the pack. After concluding his 2017 campaign at No. 2 in the ATP Rankings, could a return to the top spot be on the horizon? It will be one of the must-see storylines on the ATP World Tour in 2018.

"I'm so happy, it's unbelievable,” said an emotional Federer following the final. "I'm happy it's over now. It's a dream come true and the fairy-tale continues. After the year I had last year, it's incredible."

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: A Look Back On Roger’s 20 Major Titles
(2) Unseeded Stars Steal The Spotlight
For the first time since 1999, two unseeded players featured in the Australian Open semi-finals. Rising talents Hyeon Chung and Kyle Edmund proved themselves on one of the game's biggest stages, as the 21-year-old Korean and the 23-year-old Brit battled into the last four in Melbourne.

Chung, the champion at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, carried the momentum to 2018 with back-to-back upsets of fourth seed Alexander Zverev and six-time champion Novak Djokovic. Edmund also scored his first Top 10 victory, following up a pair of five-set wins with a stunning triumph over World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals. Both are up to career-highs in the Top 30 and are ones to watch on the ATP World Tour in 2018.


World No. 97 Tennys Sandgren and 80th-ranked Marton Fucsovics also sent shockwaves throughout Melbourne Park in reaching the quarter-finals and Round of 16, respectively. It was their deepest runs at a Grand Slam tournament. Sandgren stunned fifth-seed Dominic Thiem in five thrilling sets, having entered the fortnight with just two tour-level wins in his career. One of the biggest performers on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2017, the American is projected to rise to a career-high of No. 55 after sitting at No. 198 a year ago.

Notable Upsets - 2018 Australian Open

Result Round
No. 97 Tennys Sandgren d. No. 5 Dominic Thiem Round of 16
No. 49 Kyle Edmund d. No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov Quarter-finals
No. 58 Hyeon Chung d. No. 4 Alexander Zverev
Third Round
No. 59 Julien Benneteau d. No. 7 David Goffin Second Round
No. 80 Marton Fucsovics d. No. 13 Sam Querrey Second Round
No. 78 Matthew Ebden d. No. 16 John Isner First Round
No. 97 Tennys Sandgren d. No. 8 Stan Wawrinka Second Round
(3) Cilic Continues Clutch Play On The Big Stages
On Monday, there will be a signficant shift among the Top 5 in the ATP Rankings. Rafael Nadal remains at No. 1, Roger Federer stays at No. 2, but the new World No. 3 will be Marin Cilic. Rising three spots to a new career-high, Croatia's longtime stalwart is peaking at the age of 29.

Cilic has now appeared in a Grand Slam final or lifted an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy in four of the past five years. Champion at the 2014 US Open and 2016 Western & Southern Open and the runner-up at Wimbledon last year, he has cemented himself as a threat to contend for any title.

Cilic dropped just one set in reaching the second week in Melbourne, where he stopped 10th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in four, outlasted top seed Rafael Nadal and dismissed a surging Kyle Edmund. He came up just short of capturing his second major crown, but, having now appeared in two of the past three Grand Slam finals, the big-hitting Croatian has put the rest of the ATP World Tour on notice.

(4) Kyrgios Continues His Climb
For the first time since 2015, top Aussie Nick Kyrgios advanced to the second week of his home Grand Slam. But this was much different. Now, at the age of 22, the Canberra native is greatly maturing with every tournament and he would battle into the Round of 16 behind an impressive and poised performance against former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Kyrgios dropped a gripping four-set encounter against third-seed Grigor Dimitrov under the lights on Rod Laver Arena. The margins were razor thin, as Dimitrov claimed a trio of tie-breaks in the three-hour and 26-minute affair.

“I lost tonight to one of the best players in the world,” said Kyrgios. “I went down swinging. Obviously, I feel a lot better this time around. Last year I really didn't know what I was going to do after the Australian Open last year. I feel like I have more of a vision and goal for this year. I think I'm in a good headspace."

The Aussie faithful weren't the only fans attending his matches at Melbourne Park. Actor Will Smith came out to enjoy his meeting with Tsonga, sitting courtside to see tennis' Fresh Prince battle to victory.

Other Aussies finding success at their home Grand Slam included John Millman and Matthew Ebden, who scored first-round upsets in their comebacks from injury. Millman stopped Borna Coric, while Ebden stunned John Isner in a rematch of the 2017 Newport final. Also, teenager Alex de Minaur took a set off eventual quarter-finalist Tomas Berdych, capping a stellar Aussie swing that also included a semi-final finish in Brisbane and runner-up result in Sydney.

Learn About Kyrgios' Charity Work

(5) Marach/Pavic Complete History-Making Month
Two months after enjoying a taste of the Nitto ATP Finals as alternates, Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic are well on their way to qualifying for the season finale for the first time.

The Austrian-Croatian partners celebrated their maiden Grand Slam championship on Saturday in Melbourne, capping a fortnight which saw them claw to the title. Their quarter-final and semi-final victories came in deciding tie-breaks, before ousting 11th seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-4, 6-4 in the title match.

Marach and Pavic made history with their triumph Down Under, becoming the first team to win three titles in the month of January in the Open Era. They kicked off their 2018 campaign with victories at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha and the ASB Classic in Auckland, before lifting the trophy in Melbourne.

In addition, Marach became the first player from Austria to win the Australian Open title - singles or doubles - while Pavic achieved the same feat for his native Croatia.

Roger Federer beat Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to win his sixth Australian Open and 20th overall Grand Slam title after three hours and three minutes on Sunday night.

In a match of multiple momentum shifts, Federer joined Australia's Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic of Serbia as a six-time champion in the 50th Open Era edition of the Australian Open.

Federer has become just the third man, after Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver, in the Open Era to win four or more Grand Slam titles after becoming a 30-year-old and now moves just 155 points behind World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the ATP Rankings.

Federer improved to 9-1 lifetime against Cilic in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, having also won their 2017 Wimbledon final clash. The Swiss hit 41 winners to Cilic’s 45, but it was his stronger service consistency – 67 of 84 first-service points won and 32 of 55 second-service points won – that ensured he was able to remain in contention, despite surges in match-momentum for Cilic. Federer also hit 24 aces to Cilic’s 16, converting six of his 13 break point opportunities on the Croatian's serve.

First Set

Federer got off to a flying start under the roof on Rod Laver Arena, racing out to a 4-0 lead against Cilic, in what is a repeat of last year's final from The Championships at Wimbledon. Cilic netted a smash in the opening game to hand Federer the initiative and was broken again in the third game of the match after firing a backhand into the tramline. Cilic only managed to win four points in the first four games, and until winning the fifth game of the match was totally outrallied and outplayed by Federer. Sublime serving from Federer saw the 19-time Grand Slam champion lose just two points on serve all set as he cruised to a one-set advantage, sealed by another backhand error from his opponent.

Second Set

Looking to respond quickly to the disappointment of losing the first set, Cilic held serve in the opening game and manufactured two break points on Federer’s serve. At 15/40, Federer fired down an ace out wide to save the first before unleashing on a run-around forehand down the line to level at deuce before holding for 1-1. Time and time again throughout the set, Cilic served his way out of tricky situations. The 6’6” Croat staved off single break points at 1-1, 2-2 and 4-4 to maintain his lead with two aces and an unreturned serve to keep Federer at bay. After comfortable holds through most of the set, Federer double faulted at 4-5 30/30 to hand Cilic set point, but the soon-to-be World No. 3 could not capitalise as he dumped a cross-court backhand into the net.

After Federer escaped for 5-5, two service holds would force the set to a crucial second-set tie-break. Federer made the first move with a rifled backhand, opening up the court for an easy winner to go ahead 3/2. But was immediately pegged back by Cilic, who hammered a forehand return for a winner to reach the change of ends back on serve. The decisive move came at 4/5 with Cilic hitting a backhand return at Federer’s laces, before hammering a looped ball into the corner off the forehand to set up two set points. On the second, the 2014 US Open champion banished the memory of his error in the opening game of the match to smash his way to a second-set success.

Third Set

Set three was decided by one game. The sixth game was to be the only game of the set featuring break points, and it was Federer who grasped control of the final here. Cilic netted two groundstrokes and failed to control a Federer passing shot on the volley, to hand his opponent three break opportunities and Federer happily obliged at the second time of asking. The five-time champion stepped in on his backhand return, taking time away from his opponent to force another error and move ahead 4-2. Three games later, Federer closed out the set to love, with his 19th ace, to move to within a set of an incredible milestone victory.

Fourth Set

After leading 30-0 in the first game, Cilic hit three errors to hand Federer an opportunity to seize immediate control. Federer sliced a short return to Cilic’s backhand wing and forced his opponent into a fourth consecutive error to inch even closer to his 20th Grand Slam title. Federer had a chance for a double break in the third game, but could do nothing to stop Cilic’s aggressive play on the forehand wing. The sixth seed pummelled a forehand winner down the line to stay in contact. Cilic threw caution to the wind in the sixth game, stepping up with more aggressive play to force Federer into errors, which led to getting back on serve. Two games later, Cilic threatened Federer’s serve again and crucially found another breakthrough. The 29-year-old attacked the Federer forehand and stepped into the court to dispatch a short reply for a winner, before serving out the set to love for his fifth consecutive game, sending the year’s first major to a final set.

Fifth Set

Cilic’s big chance came in the first game with two break points on Federer’s serve, but the Croat failed to get either of his returns into play after strong Federer serving. After the relief of surviving his opening service game, Federer went on the offensive to break Cilic for a 2-0 lead with a deep cross court backhand return which Cilic ran around, but could only push into the net. From there, Federer surged to victory. A single love hold for Cilic in the fourth game was the only interlude to the charge of Federer. who won 12 of the last 13 points and sealed the title, for the second successive year on a Hawk-Eye challenge, with an unreturned serve out wide.

And so it is over. After two weeks of upset and drama, a fortnight of toil and sweat, the tennis circus is packing up its tents and leaving town.

The Australian Open has crowned its two champions Caroline Wozniacki and Roger Federer, one leaving with her first major trophy and the No.1 ranking and the other pocketing his 20th title.

For Wozniacki, it has been a rollercoaster, harum-scarum ride, from fending off match points in the second round to finally cradling that precious trophy, her just reward in her third Grand Slam final.

For Federer, it was business as usual. When he surprised himself by beating Rafa Nadal in the final last summer, he jumped up and down like a kid surrounded by presents on Christmas morning. This time he was delighted but it was different. This time, he knew he could win, he played as if he meant to win (he got to the final without dropping a set) and then, in the championship match against Marin Cilic, he fought as if his life depended upon it.

It has been a long two weeks but it has been gripping stuff. And what do we remember most?

The History Boys
The men’s final was all about history. Had Marin Cilic won, he would have become the only Croat, male or female, to win the Australian Open. But he didn’t and as Federer collected the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the sixth time, he was giving the historians a lot of work. Now, try and keep up at the back because here we go: Federer’s win equaled Roy Emerson’s Amateur era record of titles and Novak Djokovic’s Open era record. He was playing in his seventh Australian Open final, and that was a new record. He was only the fourth player, male or female, to have won 20 or more Grand slam singles titles (Margaret Court, Serena Williams and Steffi Graf are all ahead of him with 24, 23 and 22 respectively). He was playing in his 30th Grand Slam final pulling him seven ahead of his nearest rival, Rafael Nadal. And just for good measure, this was the first time in 10 years that he had defended a Grand Slam title (the last was the US Open in 2008)

The Bold and the Beautiful
The women’s final was all about nerve: who had the sheer guts to claim the trophy. Twice before both Wozniacki and Simona Halep had reached major finals and twice before they had been thwarted. One of them had to win this time and it turned out to be Wozzy.

For nearly three hours, she and Simona Halep fought and chased and almost keeled over in the hot and humid night air. Wozzy had the opening salvos sewn up; Halep found a way to hang on and come back.

The incumbent No.1 was struggling with a dodgy left thigh and the heat in the second set. Wozniacki was struggling with a gammy left knee in the third set. And still they battled on.

Three breaks of serve in the first two sets; seven breaks in the final set – neither woman knew when she was beaten. And the longer it went on, the tighter Wozniacki looked. It was nearly eight years ago that she first became world No.1 but with no Grand Slam title to back it up, the critics lined up to take pot shots at her record. And it hurt. But when Halep dumped a final backhand in the net, her lifetime goal had been achieved. She had been bold and the moment was beautiful.

The Young and the Restless
Of the gang of Next Gen players who bounced into Melbourne Park on Day 1 all had high hopes and big ambitions. Yet of them (Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov, Borna Coric to name but a few), two stood out – and one of them was a surprise. That Hyeon Chung, the champion of the Next Gen Finals last November, should reach the semifinals was not completely unexpected. Young, powerful, fast and with armour-plated defences, he was crushing all in his path until a combination of Federer and a blistered left foot did for him on Friday night. But he will definitely be back.

“I think he’s going to be a great, great player,” Federer said admiringly.

The surprise package was Kyle Edmund. He, too reached his first Grand Slam semifinal only to be beaten by Cilic. A quiet soul, he had been working hard with his coaches Fredrik Rosengren and Mark Hilton over the off-season and came to Australia as a different player. Hilton had revamped the serve and Rosengren had reset the brain: Kedders (as he is known) now had the confidence and belief to fight until the last ball and he had a new and more powerful weapon to get him there. But Kedders is not done yet.

“This type of tournament just gives you the bug to want more. Once you get a taste, it's like, yeah, I want more of this. I definitely go away from the whole week feeling positive.”

For flux sake
When the tournament began, six women were in with a shout of claiming the No.1 ranking. As the women’s final began 13 days later, the issue had still not been resolved: the champion would walk away with the trophy and their place at the top of the hill. In the end, that woman was Wozniacki after a stunning three sets on Saturday.

It was never like this in Serena’s day. Since she won last summer and then disappeared off on maternity leave, there have been a further five women’s No.1s counting the new champion. Before the baby, there was Serena at the top and no more than one or two realistic threats to her position. Even then, the interlopers could not keep the great Serena away from the hot seat for long.

Now the 23-time Grand Slam champion is ready to return (she has Indian Wells pencilled in as the first tour date in her diary). She will come back with a protected ranking but not a protected seeding. That means she will be able to cause havoc in the early round of her first few tournaments until she gets her true ranking back to a respectable level. And when she does, we shall see how long the women’s game remains in a state of flux.