Roger Federer's ex-coach reveals unique life skill he learned from Swiss superstar more than anybody else

Ivan Ljubicic, who guided Roger Federer to his last three Major titles, recently spoke about how the Swiss maestro illuminated his attitude towards victories and tough defeats. The Croat was himself ranked as high as No. 3 in the men's singles rankings during his playing days but admittedly never relished in his tournament campaigns if it didn't result in a title victory.

Ljubicic plied his trade on the ATP Tour from 1998 to 2012. The highlights of his career include winning the 2010 Indian Wells Masters, reaching the semifinals of the 2006 French Open and guiding Croatia to their first-ever Davis Cup triumph in 2005. In 2016, he became Roger Federer's coach and helped the Swiss break his Majors drought the following year in Melbourne.

Ivan Ljubicic recently spoke to the Australian Open website about how his time with Federer helped him come to an important realization. The 46-year-old maintained that seeing the 20-time Major winner celebrate wins and losses deep into a tournament with the same energy was a refreshing sight.

"Looking back, if I can give any advice to people, and Roger taught me this more than anybody else: celebrate your victories," Ivan Ljubicic told the Australian Open website. "Celebrate them. Even the losses – if it's the final, give it time. It deserves to be celebrated. That's something when I was a player I didn't do enough."

The former World No. 3 further admitted that he regretted not hanging around longer with his 2005 Davis Cup-winning teammates after they received a warm welcome in Zagreb.

"Still to this day, I'm sorry that after that celebration (winning Davis Cup with Croatia) in the main square, that we didn't go to eat together as a team," he added. "Right after that, you know how it is, I go home, I go see my family, and then we never get back as a team. And that was something that I regret a little bit."

Federer and Ljubicic, meanwhile, met each other 16 times on the ATP Tour during their overlapping careers. Out of those 16 meetings, the Croat got the better of his rival on three occasions. However, it is pertinent to note that all of those wins came before the Swiss rose to the World No. 1 position for the first time in 2004.

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Roger Federer denied former coach Ivan Ljubicic silverware on four occasions

Swiss maestro and former rival-turned-coach Ivan Ljubicic discuss tactics | Image Source: Getty

Roger Federer leads Ivan Ljubicic by a big margin of 13-3 in their head-to-head meetings on the ATP Tour. While Ljubicic led their rivalry 2-1 by the end of 2002, scoring victories against the 2001 Swiss Open and the 2002 Cincinnati Masters, Federer flipped the script on the Croat soon after.

The 20-time Major winner won 12 of their last 13 encounters in 2003-10. Moreover, he also outplayed his older opponent in back-to-back title matches at the 2005 Qatar Open, the 2005 Rotterdam Open, and the 2005 Dubai Tennis Championships, before downing the then-World No. 6 in straight sets in the 2006 Miami Masters final.