Marat Safin left Australia on Monday with another Grand Slam trophy in his arms and the tennis world at his feet.
The 25-year-old Russian's victory over Lleyton Hewitt in Melbourne on Sunday night added the Australian Open crown to the U.S. Open title he won in 2000.
Safin made a brief appearance in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda to show off his new trophy then took a tram ride through the city streets before packing his bags for the long trip back to Europe.
Having seemed destined for greatness when he stunned Pete Sampras to win the U.S. Open, the wait for a second major seemed to last an eternity.
He was beaten in the 2002 and 2004 Australian Open finals and had begun to doubt he would ever win another Grand Slam until rediscovering his self-belief in Melbourne this past fortnight.
His march to the final included an epic five-set win over the seemingly invincible Roger Federer in the semi-finals and the big Russian says he now believes he can win more Grand Slam titles.
"Basically, I would love to win a couple more. I think I have a chance if I continue this way,"
"If (coach) Peter Lundgren will stick around with me and wants to work with me for a bit longer, I think I can make it."
Despite winning the title, Safin remained in fourth place on the world rankings behind Federer, Hewitt and Andy Roddick. Safin briefly held the top spot in 2000 and while he said he would like to regain it one day it wasn't his top priority.
"Of course, if I have the opportunity to become number one in the world, I would love to achieve it," he said.
"But I already have and I want to concentrate a little bit more on the Grand Slams."
Safin made the French Open semi-finals in 2002 and fancies his chances on the red clay of Paris more than on the green grass of Wimbledon.
Despite possessing a booming serve and excellent volley, Safin has only made it past the second round once in five attempts and has little hope of ever winning Wimbledon.
"I cannot play on that surface and I feel like I can't waste my time, my energy," he said.
"Some people can't play on clay, some people can't play on hard court. It's psychological, of course, but I just don't feel comfortable on that surface.
"I will play (Wimbledon) but not with many expectations."
