12 months ago, Novak Djokovic was readying for surgery on his troublesome elbow.
Ranked 13th in the world, and having been ousted in Melbourne in the fourth round by Korean upstart Hyeon Chung, Djokovic was going nowhere fast.
By the middle of the year, his ranking had dropped to 22.
A fourth Wimbledon, third US Open and seventh Australian Open have followed in quick succession, Djokovic now enjoying a stranglehold on the top ranking and bathing in the sunshine of 15 Grand Slam titles.
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How he won in Melbourne for the record seventh time left everyone stunned, with long-time rival Rafael Nadal disposed of in a dramatic straight sets demolition, 6-3 6-2 6-3.
The win took Djokovic past Roy Emerson's record of six Australian Open titles, leaving Djokovic to poke fun at the legendary Aussie: "Mr Emerson said he's pissed with me, because I broke his record."
It also took Djokovic past Roger Federer's six crowns in Melbourne - and the Swiss star's 20 Grand Slam marker is now within reach.
While optimistic, Djokovic remained realistic.
"How many seasons are to come? I don't know," Djokovic told reporters after the match.
"I'm not trying to think too much in advance. I do want to definitely focus myself on continuing to improve my game and maintaining the overall wellbeing that I have mental, physical, emotional, so I would be able to compete at such a high level for the years to come, and have a shot at eventually getting closer to Roger's record.
"It's still far."
Coming back from a frustrating slam-less 2017, and a torrid start to 2018, meant everything to the Serb.
Seeing his ranking slump planted seeds of doubt - the 31-year-old wasn't getting any younger, but there was always apprehension he wouldn't reach that level again after his surgery.
However, Federer and Nadal - now well into their thirties, and moving beyond career-threatening injuries - will have been a source of inspiration for Djokovic as he defied the odds to reach the summit once again.
"I wasn't playing well, I wasn't feeling good on the court, I was questioning everything," he said.
"I was doubting whether I will be able to play everyone on this level because I didn't know to what extent the operation of my elbow would affect my game.
"I don't want to sound arrogant, but I always believe in myself. I think that's probably the biggest secret of my success is self-belief, always digging deep in the moments when you're facing adversity, visualising yourself as a winner, trying to be in a positive state of mind.
"It's much easier said than done obviously."
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Up next lies the possibility of winning four majors on the bounce. Djokovic achieved the feat across the 2015 and 2016 seasons, finishing with his maiden Roland-Garros crown.
The same storyline awaits the Serb three years later, and now having passed Pete Sampras' 14 majors, the clay court circuit could again prove just how good Djokovic's form really is.
While conceding his surprise in how easily he swept past Nadal in Melbourne, Djokovic acknowledged that beating the Spaniard on his preferred surface certainly won't be as easy as Sunday night's one-sided affair.
"I have to work on my clay court game. I need to play better than I have last season," he said.
"The ultimate challenge there is to win against Nadal. Then you have [Dominic] Thiem and [Alexander] Zverev, Roger is probably going to play.
"You have a lot of great players that on clay can challenge me or anybody else."
Regardless, the straight sets sweep in Melbourne caught Djokovic and all in Rod Laver Arena by surprise, but the one-versus-two match-up was what the tournament deserved.
It was the 53rd meeting between Djokovic and Nadal - more than any other pair of players - with the Serb now leading 28-25. In major finals, however, they are 4-4.
No match defines their rivalry better than the 2012 Australian Open final, which went for nearly six hours. On that day, Djokovic held firm. Fast forward seven years, the same two stars played out a vastly different match - but for Djokovic, the rivalry with the Spaniard means all the same.
The respect was there for all to see on centre court, Djokovic and Nadal speaking graciously of each other after the match.
"I don't want to say I figured him out because I don't want that to bounce back at me in any way in the future. I might have figured him out for the match, but not for life," Djokovic said of Nadal.
"I'm sure we're still going to have a lot of matches against each other on different surfaces.
"I really hope we will because this rivalry has been the most significant rivalry, the one that impacted me on a personal and professional level than most in my life."
