Roger Federer’s remarkable come-back and return to the top of the men’s game culminated in him winning an unprecedented twentieth men’s Grand Slam singles title and with it, a record equalising sixth Australian Open title on Sunday when he won a thrilling five set contest against sixth seed Cilic. Federer is arguably playing the best tennis of his career now, which is astounding at the age of 36, and it is safe to say he is now officially the greatest player of all-time. He is now transcending the already high bar he had set when he won his seventeenth Grand Slam back in 2012 and is doing at an age and time when just about all great players before him were either winding down their careers and planning retirement or had already retired. The shape Federer is in at present suggests he will continue to extend his phenomenal tennis history and legacy and long may it continue.

There are no ATP tournaments this week because it is the first round of the 2018 Davis Cup, which gets underway on Friday. Holders France open their campaign against the Netherlands on home soil and a young and talented Great Britain team that includes Edmunds, Corrie, Broady and doubles specialists Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot, face a daunting opener away at Spain on clay. Even without Nadal the Spanish have very strong and experienced team that includes world number eleven Carreno-Busta, Bautista Agut, Ramos-Vinolas, Ferrer and Lopez and the Brits will do well to win a match never mind winning and reaching the second round. Tune in on Friday and I will write more about the Davis Cup and some of the other ties.