Roger Federer enjoyed a phenomenal career, with one stunning run perhaps standing out more than most.
From Wimbledon in 2005 to the US Open in 2007, Federer reached the final of 10 successive Grand Slams.
It was a truly extraordinary feat, with the legendary Swiss star impressively winning eight of those 10 finals.
He lost only the finals of the 2006 and 2007 French Open, fittingly losing to the ‘King of Clay’ and his fierce ATP rival Rafael Nadal.
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Roger Federer fell just short of reaching 11 successive Grand Slam finals
Federer was looking to extend his run at the 2008 Australian Open, but that is where he met a Novak Djokovic looking for revenge.
The Swiss ace had beaten the rising Serbian star in the final of the 2007 US Open, with a rematch then taking place in the semifinals in Melbourne.
And it was Djokovic who came out on top, winning 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(7-5) to set up a final clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The inspired Frenchman then took the opening set in the final, but Djokovic battled back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7-2) to clinch his maiden Grand Slam title.
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Federer entered the tournament as the two-time defending champion, with his remarkable Grand Slam finals run having been addressed in the build-up.
It was put to the icon by the media beforehand: “You’ve played 10 straight majors now. Nobody has done that among the men before. Do you find each one means a little more pressure or because you’re older you can handle that pressure all right?”
He replied: “Well, obviously I’m surprised, as well, at how consistent I’ve been at all the majors. It’s not just I’ve played many Grand Slam finals; it’s consecutive. And I think that’s the great effort.
“Like, the first question, the danger always looms around the first few rounds because you know you want to get the feeling for the court, the balls. It’s been a year.
“You come back with a lot of pressure trying to defend the points. There’s always a lot of pressure, but somehow I always get through. I got the right approach and I’m confident. I got different styles of play I can use to win matches.
“Always in the first round, I don’t play against a fellow top 10 player, which helps obviously. This is also one of the reasons I always maybe played very well throughout the Grand Slam.”
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Federer also named Nadal as a particular threat ahead of the tournament, but the Spanish legend fell to Tsonga in the semifinals.
Remarkably, the Swiss star bounced back immediately, with Federer reaching the finals of the following eight Grand Slams, winning four.
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