During the 2017 Australian Open final, Roger Federer triumphed over Rafael Nadal with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, securing his 17th Grand Slam title. This match included a medical timeout that Federer took due to thigh pain experienced since his earlier match against Noah Rubin. Pat Cash, commenting on Federer’s medical timeout during BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage, described the practice as 'cheating,' claiming it constituted 'legalised cheating.'
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In response, Federer was questioned about Cash’s statements in a post-match press conference. He expressed confusion over Cash's motivation, acknowledging the pain he had been dealing with but interpreting his actions as following the established rules of the sport.
"I explained myself a couple of days ago after the Stan [Wawrinka] match. Yeah, my leg has been hurting... I was happy that I was able to navigate through the pain," Federer said, reflecting on the importance of using available resources within the frameworks of the game.
Federer emphasized that he is typically hesitant to call for medical timeouts, countering Cash's criticism by asserting, "I think I’ve led the way for 20 years." He highlighted his long-standing reputation for sportsmanship, having won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times, more than any other player.
Nadal, when asked about the controversy, stated, "No opinion about that. I don’t know what’s going on."
The discussion around medical timeouts in tennis resurfaced years later during the 2023 Australian Open semi-final, where Carlos Alcaraz faced Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz took a medical timeout under contentious circumstances, leading Zverev to voice concerns about its legitimacy. Alcaraz won that match, advancing to the final where he defeated Novak Djokovic.