Australian Open 2019: Few memorable moments in the past decade 

There is something quite special about the act of retrospection. Like the glossy and colorful pages of an old album kept tucked away in a quiet place only to be dug out at a perfect time of the year, the entire calendar of tennis lies chock-a-block with memorable moments that scatter the entire span of the season. The dust is shaken off and the pages are revisited as a flurry of memories race back to the mind and automatically the pictures start forming like painting before the eyes, still fresh, as if the years haven't lapsed in between.

This is the most beautiful aspect of memories and the moments it entails and a sport like a game of tennis is no exception to this world where incredible things happen that make every sports lover enormously proud to be living in the timeline of the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's of the world.

The 1st slam of the year has always been a favorite with the tennis stars who have come back to Melbourne over and over again to immerse themselves in the wonderful sports culture that envelopes the entire continent-country of Australia. Melbourne has stood witness to the stalwarts of the game treading on its hallowed grounds. There is a certain aura associated with the Australian Open that isn't found in the other Slams.

There is a feeling of informality and friendliness in the air during these two weeks of the Slam where pure quality tennis is displayed, given the relaxed conditions of the tournament. It's difficult to explain the true essence of what this Grand Slam entails but a quick look-back would have us remembering a certain Mr.Rod Laver taking a picture on his phone as Roger Federer got crowned with his 20th Grand Slam title in January 2018. It would have us recalling the sight of the Williams sisters clashing off against each other on the court, even in their late thirties and playing as no time has passed in between.

Tennis, like any other sport, comes with a promise of having a fair share of beautiful moments to take back from the tournament and the Australian Open has had very special ones in recent history.

Here's taking a look at those memorable moments experienced in the last few years.

#1 Australian Open 2017: Roger Federer's speech at the Presentation Ceremony

Federer beat Nadal in the finals of 2017 Australian Open

Undoubtedly the most emotional player on the court, Roger Federer hasn't been just another man playing tennis for the sake of it. History happens to gift us with certain people who help instill a beautiful essence and meaning to the otherwise, technical world of tennis. Roger Federer is a blessing in that form. The 2017 Australian Open was a spectacle for the sore eyes, to be honest.

The years had swept by, the injuries had come and gone but on either side of the net were two legends of the sport- Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. There have been several occasions where Roger, the ever graceful sportsman had admitted humbly that he wouldn't have been half the player he is had not Nadal come into the circuit and challenged him to give his best. Sworn arch-nemesis on-court, the rivalry between Nadal-Federer is the stuff of tennis fairy tales.

After a very hard fought five-set match which saw the duo really battling it out, Roger Federer emerged on the victorious side when Nadal called an unsuccessful challenge and in the most dramatic fashion, the Swiss won the Championship and his 18th Grand Slam title.

The speech at the presentation ceremony given by an extremely emotional Roger is enough to make anyone well up with nascent tears in their eyes. The pure love of sport shines through as Roger says, "Tennis is a tough sport. There are no draws, but if there would have been one, I would have been very happy to accept the draw tonight and share it with Rafa, really."

#2 Australian Open 2017: The Williams sisters reunite on court

Serena Williams beat Venus Williams by 6-4, 6-4 to win her 23rd Grand Slam title

The indomitable force when it came to women's tennis originated from the Williams sisters back in the day. Whilst Serena, with 23 Grand Slams to her name, continues to reign supreme, her older sister Venus hasn't been very consistent at the Slams of late.

However, the 2017 Australian Open was tailor-cut to give us an instant throwback to the good old days of glorious tennis as Serena set up a date with her sister Venus for the finals in Melbourne. Things simply could not get better that year when the two clashed off at a Grand Slam final stage against each other after an awfully long time. The last time the duo had faced each other in a Grand Slam Final was way back in 2009 in the All England Club, during the Wimbledon Championships.

The match spanned out to be quite exciting with Serena having to dig deep to get the better of her sister who has always been a big source of inspiration for the 37-year-old Serena. Aside from the match being a monumental significance, the speech given by Serena during the Presentation ceremony was also incredibly heartfelt as she expressed her indebtedness to Venus and congratulated her on being such a great champion.

Adding to this moment was the then unknown fact that Serena Williams was already eight weeks pregnant when she won the Championship and that garnered a lot of respect and admiration for the sheer grit and power of the younger Williams.

The Australian Open 2017 had become the perfect crucible for giving birth to memorable moments for years to come.

#3 Australian Open 2015: Novak Djokovic's first Major win after being a father

Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray to win the title

The Australian Open has been the forte of Novak Djokovic's real fame in tennis. He has gone back time and again to the Australian continent and has been received with a lot of love by the fans there. Djokovic, along with Federer and much earlier, Roy Emerson has won the Grand Slam a joint-record 6 times.

The year 2015 was special for the Serb who was coming into the tournament as the father of a toddler called Stefan Djokovic. A convincing win over Andy Murray gave Djokovic his fifth Australian Open title and this victory tasted so much sweeter because of the fresh experience of being a father. Djokovic couldn't help being emotional after the win and even started his post-match speech by congratulating Andy Murray on his engagement with Kim Sears and hoping they have 'many kids' together for he felt overwhelmed by the entire experience of parenthood.

Both Djokovic and Murray have known each other since their childhood years in tennis and the bond they share is really special and this win was particularly memorable for the Serb. Now a father of Stefan and Tara, Novak Djokovic will look to continue his Grand Slam winning streak at the Australian Open this year and be the first to get his hand on a 7th one!

#4 Australian Open 2009: Rafael Nadal wins his first Australian Open title

Rafael Nadal became the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open title in 2009

In 2009, Rafael Nadal became the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open title. The man with the ferocious backhand came into the tournament riding on the high of having won the 2008 French Open, the epic 2008 Wimbledon, an Olympic gold medal and of course dethroning Roger from the top perch, he owned the position of being World Number 1.

This was Nadal's first and only Australian Open victory and the match, as was with every Federer-Nadal classic turned out to be quite hard-fought and grueling, to say the least. At the end of a tough five-setter, Nadal emerged on the winning side leaving Federer sobbing in tears uncontrollably at the loss.

During the presentation ceremony when Federer found himself at a loss of words, Nadal went over and gave him a comforting side-hug and later reminded him how great a champion he really is and how he shouldn't let this loss affect him. This kind of admirable camaraderie between two such Champions is indeed why this sport is so wonderful. The chance to see two players applauding the other and meaning it is so rare and the duo of Federer and Nadal really exemplify this kind of a bonding that is very hard to find in a professional and competitive world.

Likewise, the 2019 Australian Open will turn out to be just as eventful and memorable as the best of the sports gear up to lock horns with each other and begin the Grand Slam quest for the year once again! Meanwhile, the fingers are crossed on seeing another Nadal-Federer showdown for sure.