Roger Federer announced his retirement on Thursday, planning to make his final ATP tournament appearance at the 2022 Laver Cup.

To celebrate the Swiss Maestro's illustrious career, TENNIS.com revisits a countdown that originally ran last summer ahead of his 40th birthday: four matches that define the grit, craft and determination that has propelled him to 20 Grand Slam singles titles and 310 weeks atop the ATP rankings.

Click here to catch up on Part 1 (Wimbledon 2001), Part 2 (US Open 2004), and Part 3 (Roland Garros 2009).

Last up: a revitalizing epic with his ultimate rival Rafael Nadal to capture the 2017 Australian Open.

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Federer captured his first Australian Open in seven years, spurring a late-career renaissance in 2017.

Federer captured his first Australian Open in seven years, spurring a late-career renaissance in 2017.

THE MOMENT: Roger Federer’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal has defined the last two decades of men’s tennis to the point where it is synonymous with the game itself. The ultimate stylistic contrast known simply as “Fedal” is tennis at its most idealized, an encounter that pits precision against pugilism and has yielded some of the greatest matches ever played.

There were few hopes of seeing any such reprise heading into the 2017 Australian Open. At 35 years old, Federer entered the tournament at the lowest seeding of his career at No. 17, and had only won a single major title since triumphing in Melbourne back in 2010. The “Fedal” rivalry had similarly lost its spark, devolving into an exercise that favored Nadal so fundamentally—becoming more about how quickly Nadal’s lefty forehand could break down the Federer backhand—that Federer hadn’t scored a major win over the Spaniard in nearly a decade.

The ensuing fortnight would revitalize both men and set the stage for what could be perhaps considered Federer’s opus. He survived five-setters with Kei Nishikori and countryman Stan Wawrinka to book his first major final against Nadal since the 2011 French Open and was soon ahead by two sets to one. His rival roared back and broke serve to open the deciding fifth.

Nadal had been in the midst of his own slump heading into Melbourne but led the “Fedal” rivalry by a whopping 12 matches on the eve of their latest clash and appeared poised to pull off a repeat of their 2009 Australian Open final—one that ultimately inspired Federer to capture the Career Grand Slam.

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Rafa definitely has been very particular in my career. I think he made me a better player...because the way his game stacks up with me, it's a tricky one. I've said that openly. It remains for me the ultimate challenge to play against him. Roger Federer

“It all started for me here,” Federer said after the match. “I played the qualies here in '99, the juniors in '98. Won my first match maybe against Michael Chang here back in 2000. I go way back.

“When you win down here, the journey home is not a problem. When you lose, it's just brutal. That's why I feel very fortunate tonight.”

Emerging from a medical timeout, Federer was made to battle from the brink of a 2-4 deficit; returning at deuce, he countered a barrage of Nadal forehands to suddenly connect with a brilliant backhand, foreshadowing his run through the next four games.

The dominant stretch gave way to a tense ending as the Swiss fended off a pair of break points serving for the match and withstood multiple Hawkeye challenges to at last claim an 18th major title, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–3.

“Rafa definitely has been very particular in my career. I think he made me a better player. Him and a couple more players have done the most to do that to me because the way his game stacks up with me, it's a tricky one. I've said that openly. It remains for me the ultimate challenge to play against him. So, it's definitely very special.

“The magnitude of this match is going to feel different. I can't compare this one to any other one except for maybe the French Open in '09. I waited for the French Open, I tried, I fought. I tried again and failed. Eventually I made it. This feels similar.”

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THE MEANING: Far from a final bow, Federer’s victory sparked a career renaissance. Returning to the United States for the Sunshine Swing, he captured back-to-back titles at the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open for his first Sunshine Double since 2006.

Later that summer, he hoisted an eighth Wimbledon title and his first in five years, trouncing Marin Cilic in a straight-set final. The two met again in Melbourne’s championship match the following January, where Federer edged through another five-set epic to secure his first successful title defense since 2008, when he won a fifth consecutive US Open.

Fresh off his 20th major, he enjoyed a return to the top of the ATP rankings, trading off with Nadal to earn another eight weeks at No. 1 throughout 2018. His rivalry with Nadal even took a late-career twist, winning six of the last seven matches to compile his most dominant stretch of their head-to-head, most recently beating him at the 2019 Wimbledon semifinals.

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Federer has won six of his last seven matches against Nadal—his most dominant stretch of their rivalry.

Federer has won six of his last seven matches against Nadal—his most dominant stretch of their rivalry.

Having taken a long look at his past, it must be said that his present—and by extension, his future—is more uncertain. Injuries have taken their toll and the global pandemic has robbed him of any rhythm. The lead-up to his 40th birthday has been blighted by the news that he would miss both Masters 1000 tournaments that precede the US Open, a decision likely made as much to preserve his body as to ensure he can peak for an attempt at winning 21 major titles.

Those in doubt would do well to recall this chapter of Federer’s career, one that appeared very much over when he opted out of an entire six months of action in 2016. The game’s greats have a way of rising again.

And if we have indeed seen all Roger Federer has to give, few would argue his best was nothing short of glorious.