Roger Federer has won the respect of the entire sporting world for his stunning achievements during 2017, however, it seems the respect of his kids is harder to earn.Awarded the Swiss Sportsman of the Year trophy for the seventh time, it was a further honour to cap a remarkable year in which the tennis legend came back from an injury ravaged 2016 to claim a multitude of titles, most notably two of the Grand Slam crowns at Melbourne and at Wimbledon.Taking his career tally to 95 singles titles and 19 Grand Slams, he could not be blamed for feeling somewhat content with his accomplishments during what has been a vintage year for the Swiss veteran.However, he admitted that upon telling his children that he was going out to collect an award, their response was some first rate trolling of their superstar dad as he revealed their cutting response."After dinner my kids asked me where I was going. I told them there is this awards gala where I could win a prize. Then they said: 'But isn't Rafa number 1?!'"Rafa Nadal, the legendary Spanish player, has always been somewhat of a thorn in Federer's side throughout his career, boasting a superior head-to-head record of 23-15, and himself coming off a remarkable comeback from injury and also capturing two Grand Slam titles this year at Roland Garros and New York pushing his career total to 16. The elegant Swiss maestro finally seemed to work out a successful strategy to combat Nadal, as he defeated him four times in a row during the year, including in an epic final in Melbourne.

It was not enough to win the race to number one, however, with the Spaniard garnering more ranking points principally due to playing more tournaments than his rival, who employed a lighter schedule in an attempt to add further longevity to his career. 

The tennis season will restart in earnest when the top players gather in Melbourne next month, one can be sure that Federer will be looking to defend his title and regain top spot in the rankings in an effort to silence his offspring.