“What a pleasure, what an honour. Thank you Serena for making this match possible.”
Roger Federer turned to acknowledge Serena Williams following an historic night in Perth.
For two decades Williams and Federer have been carving out their own legendary legacies, but finally the trophy-laden duo met in competition on Tuesday night.
A captivated 14,064 Hopman Cup record crowd packed into the Perth Arena to witness two of the greatest wield their racquets on opposing sides of the net as Team Switzerland beat Team USA 2-1 thanks to victory in the decisive mixed doubles.
“It was a great experience; I’m kind of sad it’s over, I was just warming up,” quipped 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams, before she joined the Swiss star for a series of on-court selfies to mark the occasion.
“It was so fun. We grew up together, watching each other play, so to have the opportunity after all these years was super cool we’ve got to do this at such a pinnacle point in our careers.
“For me it was super cool. I’ve wanted to take pictures, I wanted to bring my baby out, I’m way too excited.”
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion with a third straight Australian Open title in his sights later this month, gave Switzerland the lead with a 6-4 6-1 triumph over Frances Tiafoe.
Williams battled back to beat Belinda Bencic 4-6 6-4 6-3 to level the tie and set the stage for a grand finale in the mixed doubles.
“Well I was nervous returning because you just don’t know,” said Federer with a beaming smile alongside Williams during a joint on-court interview.
“People talk about her serve so much and I see why it is such a wonderful serve, you just can’t read it.”
Having overcome the pre-match nerves, Federer realised the gravitas of the occasion when seeking a key point while serving to Williams in the second set tiebreak of the eventual 4-2 4-3(3) victory for Switzerland.
“I was telling myself, ‘This is Serena Williams, this is what I’ve always wanted, a big-time moment like this.’
“It was great, great fun. She’s a great champion, you see how determined and focused she is and I love that about her.”
Their on-court interview was the perfect culmination to this historic contest, with both players eager to express their admiration for a fellow great of modern sport.
“I mean he’s the greatest of all time, both on and off the court. He has such charisma, he’s just a wonderful player,” stated Williams, who is preparing to target an eighth Australian Open singles title.
“I’m trying to narrow it down here, but he has a super underestimated serve. It’s a killer serve. There is a reason why he is the greatest, you can’t be that great without an awesome weapon like that serve.
“I watch him all the time but I never knew how amazing that shot was. Hopefully I can get some tips later on. It was really impressive.”
With the selfies snapped, Williams and Federer shared a joke and an embrace. Perhaps a mixed doubles spot in Melbourne is in the pipeline?