Roger Federer doesn’t need to be reminded of his on-court achievements in every room he walks into back home in Switzerland.
The bulk of his trophy haul – and there’s more metal in that than a shipping yard – is confined to a single room
Occasionally, he admits, it’s fun to show friends an Olympic gold medal, an Australian Open or Wimbledon trophy.
Should he add a 20th Grand Slam trophy to that already cluttered room, 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic thinks it will make him beyond doubt the greatest to have played the men’s game.
Everything is relative for Federer
Speaking to ausopen.com at the annual Legends Lunch, which this year honoured 1957 US Open champion Mal Anderson, Ivanisevic said it would be difficult to draw parallels between another athlete and Federer, should the Swiss prevail over Marin Cilic in Sunday’s title match.
“If he wins 20 I don’t know how you can compare it,” Ivanisevic said. “He’s one of the biggest sportsmen in the history of any sport.
“In the new Open era, to win 20 Grand Slams in this level of competition is not easy. He likes the records, he likes to win.
“The way he plays he can play another four, five years because nobody is pushing him, nobody’s pressing, so he’s enjoying it and this would be a great achievement for Roger.”
Former world No.1 and six-time Grand Slam singles champion, John Newcombe, also regarded Federer as a heavy favourite to claim a record-equalling sixth Australian Open title.
The Australian, who won his home major in 1973 and 1975, has witnessed Federer’s ability to change his game, unlike any other player.
“For me Roger is definitely the favourite. He’s playing as good if not better than he ever has,” Newcombe said. “Now he’s got a real all-court game and he’s mixing up his game unbelievably.
“I think that overall game will get him through against Cilic but it’s going to be very, very tough. Cilic has really got a tough game to break down.”
Should the Croat become just the third man after Juan Martin del Potro and Novak Djokovic to beat both Federer and Nadal in the same Grand Slam tournament, Newcombe believes the triumph could unlock a new level of confidence in the Croat.
“It’d be huge beating Roger in a Grand Slam final,” Newcombe said. “He’s won a US Open, he was in the final at Wimbledon last year. No reason Cilic couldn’t move into a permanent spot in the top 4 [if he won].”
Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s final, Ivanisevic holds a personal connection to both sides. Federer’s coach, Ivan Ljubicic, played alongside Ivanisevic in Davis Cup for Croatia. Cilic he coached to the 2014 US Open title.
Too little credit is given to just how much Ljubicic has brought to Federer’s game in the later stages of his career, Ivanisevic believes.
“As a tennis player he was very professional, Ivanisevic said. “He was No.3 in the world. He was huge competition to Roger when they played. He won the Davis Cup almost alone.
“He was one of the best servers ever, great coach – he coached Raonic very successfully and since he came, Roger is just playing amazing tennis, last year, this year.”
Ivanisevic was not at all surprised to see his former charge, Cilic, beating Nadal in the quarterfinals before the Spaniard retired due to injury in the fifth set.
“I think this court speed supports Cilic,” Ivanisevic said. “He needs to be aggressive. He can’t let Federer control the game plus 15,000 people against him.”
Much of it would come down to which of the two made the quicker start, he said.
“Roger is not the sort of guy who lets a lead slip. Cilic needs to start like Berdych did in the beginning of his [quarterfinal] match,” Ivanisevic said.
“If he can do that and keep pressing, then even Roger can get nervous, believe it or not.
“He needs to be aggressive like he was in US Open 2014. This is completely different to the final at Wimbledon last year. He has a chance. He’s in the final so he believes he can win.”
Even if No.20 does fall Federer’s way on Sunday, Ivanisevic, for one, doesn’t need to see that stashed trophy room to be reminded of the Swiss great’s standing in the sport.
“I think so, probably he’s the best [of all time],” Ivanisevic said. “I think you can maybe debate about Rod Laver who didn’t play for so many years, Bjorn Borg, who stopped at 26 but I mean if Federer wins on Sunday, who can argue with that?”