"I still have chills" - Roger Federer's ex-coach explains 'epic' memory watching Swiss beat Rafael Nadal in classic Grand Slam final

Ivan Ljubicic, who served as Roger Federer's coach from 2016 to 2022, recently named the Swiss' 2017 Australian Open final victory as his favorite memory as a coach. Federer, seeded No. 17 in that year's edition of the Melbourne Major, won a thrilling five-set final against fierce rival and Rafael Nadal. This victory came just months after the Swiss underwent surgery.

Ljubicic recently featured as a guest on The Sit-Down podcast and revisited Federer's 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory against Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open final. It was the last Grand Slam final played between the Swiss and the Spaniard, and their first clash in a Major final since the 2011 French Open.

"My, by far, favourite memory is 2017 as a coach of Roger and that epic final against Rafa. It was something special. It was crazy. I mean, I still have chills. Not just that match, but the whole Australian Open that year was a dream," Ljubicic said.

"We kind of thought, you know, if he catches fire, and if he gets going, who knows? Roger can win any tournament he plays. But to actually see it happening, especially against Rafa in the final in the five-setter epic match, it was very, very special," he added.

The former World No. 3 also recalled how at the time, the pedigree of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and the history of their glorious rivalry led to it being widely regarded as one of the most monumental tennis clashes of all time, if not the most. The Croatian ex-pro went on to remember how both the Swiss and the Spaniard 'embraced' the moment.

"The thing that I liked about that final was that … it was the biggest match in history, right? There were two guys who had the most (Major) titles in history, and they're going to play each other in the final. Rafa also was coming back from the injury. Roger as well. They were embracing it. They really said: ‘Yes, that's true. Let's see who's going to get this one’. So it was great," Ljubicic concluded.

In 2022, Federer cast his mind back to the 2017 Australian Open final and rated it as one of the top three wins of his stellar career.

"It came so unexpectedly, and it was against Rafael Nadal" - Roger Federer's candid 2022 admission about Australian Open 2017 final

Roger Federer celebrating with the 2017 Australian Open men's singles trophy (Source: Getty)

Ahead of the 2017 Australian Open, Federer and Nadal had already established themselves among the all-time tennis greats. However, their injuries and subsequent fitness issues in the buildup to the hardcourt Major didn't make either of them the favorites for the title. Despite the odds, the old rivals proved their caliber, and produced an absolute spectacle in the final.

Speaking to Eurosport in early 2022, the year of his retirement, the Swiss looked back fondly on his 2017 title triumph in Melbourne.

"That was something so ultra-special. Definitely top three in my life, as a tennis moment for me. This is so high up there because it came so unexpectedly, and it was against Rafa in the final. It just had everything. At the end, the moment showed what it meant to me, and still today. It was very, very special," Federer said.

The Swiss would go on to win two more Majors (2017 Wimbledon Championships and 2018 Australian Open) to finish with 20 Grand Slam titles, before an emotional farewell at the 2022 Laver Cup. Nadal eventually surpassed his great rival, with the Spaniard retiring at last year's Davis Cup Finals having won 22 Majors.