Roger Federer made it an extraordinary 20 Grand Slam singles titles with a 5-set win over Marin Cilic in the Australian Open final, and as he embarked on a celebration tour of television studio interviews, Catherine Whitaker and David Law try to make sense of his achievement on The Tennis Podcast.

Federer was overcome with emotion in his on-court victory speech, and the team discuss why this one got to him so much.

They also analyse the match and the claustrophobic and heat and humidity that it could have been played in before the decision was taken, on the eve of the final, to shut the roof. Did that play into Federer’s hands? Was it the right decision? Did Cilic ever look likely to win? And why was their such a muted reaction when the underdog started to mount a comeback? All questions answered on the latest show. 

As Federer, aged 36, contemplated another addition to his major title collection, Whitaker and Law discuss what it brings to his legacy, how much longer he might go on for, and how many more goals he has left.

The Tennis Podcast was produced daily throughout the Australian Open, presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live), in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. 

The weekly podcast will return on Monday 5th February, and the show will be daily during the French Open, The Queen’s Club Championships, Wimbledon and the US Open. 

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