“Think about the historical significance of what that match would look like. If Rafa (Nadal) wins, it’s 15-17 with the French Open just around the corner. It’s literally game on for the most Slams ever. If Roger (Federer) wins, it’s 18-14, and I don’t know that that divide gets made up. If it happens, it has to be the most important match in Australian Open history, and possibly Grand Slam history,” so prophesied Andy Roddick, last Tuesday right after he was formally announced as one of the inductees for Tennis’ Hall of Fame for 2017.

It was a statement that seemed far too early to be made, despite that Federer still had a semi-final to be played against Stan Wawrinka and Nadal was a day away from playing his quarter-final against the third seed Milos Raonic. In the end, however, the player-turned-pundit proved to be perfect in his prediction, right to his summarisation of what a (then) probable win for Federer, coming by way of a Fedal final, would mean to tennis’ legacy at large.

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Before, however, the sport can claim its due from the sportsman, it’s necessary to recognise the import – and impact – of this win on Federer himself.

A timeless win separated by time in its achievement

Unlikely and unimaginable as it seemed a fortnight ago, Federer’s run at Melbourne Park has delineated him from the rest of the playing order unequivocally. Not only does he have the most number of Grand Slams, the manner in which he won his 18th title on Sunday evening against Nadal has made it difficult for his rivals to catch up to his constancy that has been unruffled by the time-lapse between the last two Slams he has won. And, of the two, it’s been the latter that has been the most laborious, even by his lofty standards.

Though he had not faded away from the top echelons of the sport, the drop in Federer’s usual high levels of consistency in the last handful of years was unmistakable. Where once he was a regular in the second week of Grand Slam draws, his unexplained and intermittent susceptibility in the earlier rounds in the same tournaments was tepidly contrasting. As were let-downs, his inability to close down on matches in the final stages of the Majors, whenever he made it that far.

The Rafa factor

Inspiring as it was to have him reach the final in his first official tournament coming into the draw after six-months of injury layoff, vying for his 18th Major at the Australian Open, nonetheless, was a tough ask. For, not only had the Swiss not won in Melbourne in seven years, but, contrary to optimal grounds, he was facing a nemesis against whom he had a lopsided head-to-head that included two previous defeats, including one in a final, in the same tournament.

The hair-splitting differences between that famed Fedal final played out in 2009 and the one that ensued at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday were that both players had started out as underdogs in their respective halves of the draw before making it this far, and that Nadal was the overwhelming favourite to rout Federer in yet another epic contest.

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And, it would have gone on to be a repeat of what had occurred the first time around, had it not been for one aspect – Federer’s will. Much like in 2009, both players split two sets with Federer looking to have lost steam to his younger rival who, courtesy of a break in Federer’s opening service game in the decider, built a gaping 3-1 lead. Back then, the Mallorcan built on his lead even as Federer endeavoured to get on par on the scoreboard, eventually clinching the title with a 6-2 win in the deciding set. Eight years onward, in an ironic evincing of how times had changed, it was the Basel native who reeled in his opponent, winning five straight games to hold aloft the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

“Play free,” Federer observed about his tactics. “You play the ball, you don’t play the opponent. Be free in your head, be free in your shots, go for it. The brave will be rewarded here.”

Beyond 18th, where does Roger go from here?

The 35-year-old veteran made it sound it easy in the end, but willing himself to play without limitations as he so eloquently put it, and not for the first time in these past two weeks, took him the better part of his career to fulfil. As has taken him this long to adapt to the regulations that have been put in place, be it using medical time-outs or be it using challenges, to get past each round.

In the six months that he spent away from tennis, the 18-time Grand Slam champion then seems to have developed newer perspectives, reconciling and tempering expectations with pragmatism, even to the extent of broaching the subject of his potential retirement. In that, the completed quest of Roger Federer’s much-awaited 18th Slam has thus been a second homecoming for the player, almost two decades since he first made a case as tennis’ next-best prodigy.