Roger Federer’s former coach, Ivan Ljubicic, has revealed his favorite memory from the Australian Open involving the Swiss maestro.
‘My absolute favorite memory is from 2017 when I was coaching Roger, and that epic final against Rafa [Nadal]. It was truly something special.’
‘It was incredible. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. Not just that match, but the entire Australian Open that year was like a dream come true. We thought that if Roger could catch fire, if he got going, who knows? He could win any tournament. But to see it happen in reality, especially in a five-set final against Rafa, was genuinely extraordinary.’
‘What I loved about that final was that it was the biggest match in history at that point, right? The two guys with the most Grand Slam titles playing each other in a final. And both Rafa and Roger were returning from injuries.’
‘They embraced it and said, ‘Yes, this is it. Let’s see who takes the trophy.’ It turned out amazing,’ – the Croatian coach told the official website of the Australian Open.
Ljubicic and Federer worked together from 2016 until Federer’s retirement in 2022.
