With a career that spanned over two decades, the 2017 season was viewed as the year when Roger Federer was at his peak, according to tennis analyst Gill Gross.
The Swiss Maestro had been out of action for nearly six months prior to making a comeback at the 2017 Australian Open, where he shocked the world by winning the Melbourne Grand Slam. Additionally, Federer would go on to win the Wimbledon title a few years later at age 36, his second Grand Slam of the year.
In the latest episode of his weekly "Monday Match Analysis" podcast, Gross engaged with some tennis fans, responding to one in particular who asked him to name the year's that Federer was at his peak.
"I think for Federer, full year, start to finish, I would say 2005 and 2006," admitted Gross. "But there is an argument that the first half of 2017, if you wanna say that's the best tennis he has ever played, I'm also very much okay to hear that argument. I mean, Federer was playing with 100% freedom.
"Just came organically from the fact that he comes off the surgery, doesn't have expectations, wins the Australian Open, I think it was tennis euphoria for him. If you wanna tell me that's the best level he's ever reached, yeah I'll hear that argument."