Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal forged one of the most exciting tennis rivalries when they first met in Miami in 2004. In those years they dominated the rest of the field, battling for Major and Masters 1000 trophies.
Nadal scored four straight wins against Federer at Roland Garros between 2005 and 2008, while Roger won the Wimbledon final in 2006 and 2007, extending his incredible streak on grass that began in 2003.
Nadal made significant strides on the fastest, low rebound surface and would reach two Wimbledon finals in those years, challenging Roger ever tougher and preparing another attack in 2008 after the fourth consecutive crown from Roland Garros.
Nadal and Federer were the favorites of the All England Club, passing six obstacles and reaching the third final in a row. Since 2003, Roger has had 40 straight wins at the Cathedral of Tennis and Nadal broke that incredible streak thanks to a memorable 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 win in four hours and 48 minutes!
Rafa became the first player since Björn Borg with a “channel slam”, who shortly after he was 22 years old added the fifth major to his balance sheet and paved his way to the tennis immortals.
Nadal won five points more than Federer in an exciting fight, fended off 12 of 13 breaks and earned four breaks in order to assert himself and to win in one of the most important moments in tennis history. Rafa stayed in touch with the five-time champion for up to four strokes on the shortest points, improved his first shot to reach Roger’s level, and delivered incredible tennis on those break chances to suffer only one break.
The Spaniard advanced in the third game, survived a serve on serve 5: 4 and fended off two breaks to win the first set. Federer scored a 4-1 lead in the second set and was broken 4-2 to bring Nadal back into the competition.
Nadal defeated Federer after an epic fight at Wimbledon in 2008
With the momentum on his side, Rafa took another break at 4: 4 with a forehand winner, served for the set in the next game and pushed off a break chance to bring two sets to and closer to the finish line to zero.
Like a true champion, Roger found the way to get back on his feet in sets three and four. He prevailed in a tight tie-break in the fourth set after he had forced a fifth set 5-2 and achieved the favorite status.
The players had to leave the field due to rain in the fifth game of the last set and returned half an hour later to continue the incredible encounter. Roger created a break chance with a forehand down the line winner at 4-3, contested by Nadal’s Smash winner, who finished the result 4-4 with another forehand winner to keep alive stay.
With 5: 5 Rafa got two breaks with a forehand winner who could neither convert nor take an additional step two games later. In the 15th game the Spaniard seized more chances on his return, secured a break and served for the title after a colossal forehand error by the Swiss.
In the Deuce 8: 7, Rafa hit a service winner and marched to the top after a forehand error by Roger. He celebrated one of his most glorious victories of all time and wrote the record books. “For me, the 2008 Wimbledon final is one of the most emotional encounters of my career.
The last loss in 2007 hurt a lot and I thought I would never get the chance to fight for the title at the All England Club again. I returned to the final a year later and it was an epic one.
It had it all and the people who saw it on TV have no idea how dark it got in the past few games; Both Roger and I were at the limit, “said Rafael Nadal.
–
