2017 Australian Open win has 'different taste' says Roger Federer

Roger Federer has said he can't believe that he has won the 2017 Australian Open title and revealed that this one has a 'different taste' compared to the other 17 Grand Slam titles he has won during his career.

The Swiss ace surprised himself by making the final of the first Grand Slam of the year and then went on to beat long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal in the final. Federer was coming back from a six-month hiatus due to a knee injury and it was his first ranking tournament since his semi-final loss at the Wimbledon Championships last year.

The former world number one was ranked 17 in the world before the tournament and was not among the favourites to left the trophy. During Federer's absence, questions were raised about his future and his ability to again challenge the top players in major tournaments. He had not won a Grand Slam since 2012 when he lifted his seventh Wimbledon title.

"I was able to show, especially after the tough year I had last year, how to make the right decisions and get past that. And how to move on and right away to create this sort of fairy tale story at the beginning of this year," Federer said after winning his 18<sup>th Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park, as quoted by tennisworldusa.org

"Honestly, I never thought I'd be able to win this tournament. I still can't believe I was able to make it all happen. This one has a very special, different taste than all the other Grand Slams I ever won. Coming back, getting older, and people have written me off maybe, makes this one so unique," the former world number one added.