When Roger Federer gave a nickname to his Australian Open title

With six titles, the Australian Open is one of Roger Federer's happiest hunting grounds. Two of his last three Grand Slam wins (2017 and 2018) have come Down Under.

After clinching the title in 2017 by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the final, the Swiss maestro nicknamed his trophy "Norman" as a tribute to legendary Aussie Norman Brookes.

Federer stunned everyone by winning the 2017 Australian Open by beating arch-rival Nadal in an epic title match. The Swiss had not won a Major since 2012, leading scores of fans and pundits to believe that his Grand Slam-winning days were over.

Moreover, the 40-year-old suffered a knee injury in the second half of 2016, forcing him to call a premature end to his season. As such, not many expected him to do well at the 2017 Australian Open, let alone win it.

When the draw was announced, his prospects dipped even further, given that the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Tomas Berdych, and Nadal potentially lay in store for him.

Armed with a newfound aggressive backhand, Federer surprised everyone with some sumptuous first-strike tennis. His backhand, which had been blown to bits by Rafael Nadal's ferocious topspin on numerous occasions, found a way to choke the Mallorcan in the all-important final and enabled Federer to get his hands on the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the fifth time in his career.

Speaking to the New York Times after his 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over Nadal, Federer revealed how he had personified the trophy by calling it "Norman."

“I call it Norman. I’ve had dinner with Norman, spent a lot of time with Norman. I know it’s just a replica, but that’s all right,” he said of the trophy.

After returning to Switzerland, Federer took his trophy on a special tour to the top of the Matterhorn - one of the highest summits of the Alps. During his interview with the New York Times, he revealed why he had taken his trophy on such a special trip.

Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli won the America’s Cup sailing competition for Switzerland in 2003 and had then promised to take his trophy atop the Matterhorn.

Federer revealed that this was the source of his inspiration but admitted that he was not aware if Bertarelli stuck to his word.

“That’s where I got my idea to take Norman into the mountains. I don’t know if Ernesto ever did it, but I thought it was such a cool idea. To come from a faraway place like New Zealand or Australia and bring the trophy all the way back to the most important part of your homeland,” he expressed.

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"It's like a friend now. We got to know each other" - Roger Federer after winning the 2018 Australian Open title

Roger Federer Arrives In Zurich with his 2018 Australian Open title

While many expected Roger Federer to remain Slam-less after going almost half a decade without a Major, he ended up winning three in the space of 12 months. After pocketing the 2017 Australian Open title, the Swiss won at the All England Club the same year and defended his title in Melbourne in 2018 -- his 20th and most recent Grand Slam.

After winning the 2018 Australian Open, Federer was asked during his press conference if he was looking to give the trophy a new nickname. In response, he began by explaining how in 2017, he received an original-sized replica of the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the first time in his career.

The 40-year-old stressed that the nickname 'Norman' was "very fitting," adding how the piece of silverware had transformed into a "friend."

"I don't know. It was always with me last year, as it is the first time I had the original-sized Australian Open trophy, the Norman Brookes trophy," he said after winning the 2018 Australian Open title.

"Instead of calling it the trophy, I felt like I could give it a name. As it is called Norman, I felt it was very fitting. Rather than saying, I'm bringing the trophy, it's, I'm bringing Norman along. It's like a friend now. We got to know each other," he added.

Federer remarked that giving the trophy a nickname in 2017 was his way of creating some humor. He also suggested that he would not be too inclined to provide the trophy with a new nickname after growing closer to "Norman."

"It was just funny last year. I don't know if I'll do it again this year. Sure, Norman has a special place for us, anyway. It's great to be sitting here tonight with him (Norman) right now, this morning," he stated.