ROGER Federer vowed to party like a rock star after beating Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final to win his 18th Grand Slam title.

The Swiss overcame his old rival 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in a pulsating clash on Rod Laver Arena to seal his first major triumph since Wimbledon in 2012.

Nadal twice came back from a set down and looked in charge when up a break in the decider but Federer strung together five games in a row to claim his fifth Melbourne crown.

This was Federer’s 15th major tournament since he beat Andy Murray to win Wimbledon five years ago and many believed title No 18 might never come.

“Now we made it, we’re going to be partying like rock stars tonight, I can tell you that,” Federer said.

“I think this one will take more time to sink in. When I go back to Switzerland, I’ll think, ‘wow’. 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 2009. I waited for the French Open, I tried, I fought.

I tried again and failed. Eventually, I made it. This feels similar.”

Federer’s success is all the more remarkable given he arrived in Melbourne without playing a single tour match since Wimbledon last summer as he nursed a knee injury.

In his on-court speech, the 35-year-old cast some doubt as to whether he would return to Australia next year but later said uncertainty was only natural at this stage of his career. “This is all about knowing that I have only so much tennis left in me,” Federer said. “If I do get injured, maybe if I miss next year, who knows what happens?”

“I mean look, I had a tough year last year. Three five-setters are not going to help! I hope I can come back, of course. That’s my hope right now.”

Federer becomes the first man in history to win three different Grand Slams five times and extends his record as the most successful player of all time. He also adds a notch to his rivalry with Nadal, against whom he had lost six of his previous eight Grand Slam finals and not won a major-tournament meeting since 2007. “I told myself to play free,” Federer said. “That’s what we discussed with [coaches] Ivan [Ljubicic] and Severin [Luthi] before the matches.

“You play the ball, you don’t play the opponent. Be free in your head, be free in your shots, go for it.

“The brave will be rewarded here.

I kept on fighting. I kept on believing, like I did all match long today, that there was a possibility I could win this match.”

Federer took a medical time-out at the start of the fifth set, just as Nadal looked to have the momentum behind him. Pat Cash described it as “legalised cheating” in commentary on the BBC but Federer insisted his need was genuine.

“I felt my quad midway through the second set already and the groin started to hurt midway through the third set,” he said.

“I also think we shouldn’t be using these rules or abusing the system.

I think I’ve led the way for 20 years so I think to be critical there is exaggerating. I’m the last guy to call a medical time-out. So I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

Nadal has now lost three times in the Australian Open final but the 30-year-old can take great comfort from his resurgence at this tournament.

The Spaniard will rise to No 6 when the world rankings refresh today and, after ending last season early due to a wrist problem, he looks to be rediscovering his best.

“I have big personal satisfaction,” Nadal said. “I feel happy. I have played a great standard of tennis during the whole month that I have been back playing and that’s great news for me.

“The only goal for me is to keep going. I believe that if I have my body in the right conditions, I can have a great year because I feel that I am playing well.”

Roger Federer joined Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 Grand Slam titles a total surpassed only by Serena Williams, who took her tally to 23 by beating sister Venus to claim the women’s title on Saturday, and Steffi Graf with 22.