Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic ranks his heroic five-set triumph over Rafael Nadal ahead of his 2011 Wimbledon title.
The pair went toe-to-toe for nearly six hours in a match for the ages, with an emotional and proud Djokovic lauding the titanic clash the 'greatest win of his life'.
The Serbian world number one eventually came out on top at Rod Laver Arena, sealing a 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 win in the early hours of Monday morning.
"Right now, yes," Djokovic said when asked if the monumental victory was the best of his career.
"Probably Wimbledon ... is right up there next to this one, because it's just the tournament that I always dreamed of winning."
"But this one I think comes out on the top because just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible, incredible. I think it's probably the longest final in the history of all Grand Slams, and just to hear that fact is making me cry, really."
"I'm very proud just to be part of this history, part of the elite of the players that have won this tournament for several times, and I was very flattered to be playing in front of Rod Laver, in front of the all-time greats, and in front of 15,000 people that stayed until 1:30 am. It's incredible, really."
An exhausted Djokovic could have sealed the match in the fourth set while 4-3 ahead.
He then looked dead and buried when a rejuvenated Nadal sprang to life, taking the set and the early advantage in the fifth at 4-2.
At times Djokovic appeared a spent force, falling to the court following a series of gruelling points in the fifth set.
But he pushed himself to the limit and came out on top despite having a day's less rest and backing up from a testing five-set win over Andy Murray in their semi-final.
"It's finals," he said.
"It was the fifth set. I had lots of chances to finish the match in the fourth, but he came up with some incredible serves and incredible points."
"So he deserved to prolong the match in the fifth set, and then really both of us could have won the match. It could have gone either way."
"I felt my body started to slow down, but on the other hand, I was aware of the fact that he's not as well feeling that great and fresh on the court."
"I'm sure that physically it's taking a toll on him, as well. So I tried mentally to hang in there, to hold my composure, to hold my emotions."
"And, even when I was 4-2 down, I still pushed myself up to the limit. One of the points I think of the match was at 4-4, (in the) fifth, the first point after a 35 (to) 40-shot rally I think we both went down on our knees."
"But these kind of matches - I'm a professional tennis player. I'm sure any other tennis player would say the same: We live for these matches. We work every day. We're trying to dedicate all our life to this sport to come to the situation where we play a six-hour match for a Grand Slam title."
Djokovic has undeniably added mental steel to his armoury.
After outlasting one of the fittest and most relentless men ever to play the game, his record of four