2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles final

none June 2025 April 2022 Wimbledon 2008 Men's Final 6 July 20082009 Wimbledon Compendium 78 Alan Little 978-1-899039-31-9 The Championships, Wimbledon Centre Court, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, London, England Pascal Maria 4 hours 48 minutes SUI Roger Federer ESP Rafael Nadal 4 6 4 6 77 65 710 68 7 9 130px 110px Roger Federer (left) and Rafael Nadal (right) Federer and Nadal before the match 300 1 2 2008 Wimbledon Championships 2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles The 2008 Wimbledon Championships Men's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the men's singles tournament at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. A part of the Federer–Nadal rivalry, it pitted then-top ranked Roger Federer against then second-ranked Rafael Nadal. After 4 hours and 48 minutes of play, Nadal defeated Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7. Due to the quality of play and the involvement of two of the greatest players ever, this final is regarded by many as the greatest tennis match ever played.See:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/06/SPP711KSLR.DTL The Greatest Match Ever Jenkins Bruce San Francisco Chronicle 2008-07-07 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090211000035/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2008%2F07%2F06%2FSPP711KSLR.DTL 11 February 2009 deadhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/2305019/Wimbledon-2008-John-McEnroe-hails-Rafael-Nadal-victory-as-greatest-final-ever.html Wimbledon 2008: John McEnroe hails Rafael Nadal victory as greatest final ever Alleyne Richard The Telegraph London 2008-07-07 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090204125756/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/2305019/Wimbledon-2008-John-McEnroe-hails-Rafael-Nadal-victory-as-greatest-final-ever.html 4 February 2009 livehttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/07/09/wertheim.mailbag/index.html Without a doubt, it's the greatest Wertheim Jon 2008-07-09 Tennis Mailbag Sports Illustrated 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090204151531/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/07/09/wertheim.mailbag/index.html 4 February 2009 deadhttp://tennisworld.typepad.com/thewrap/2008/07/w-report-cards.html W: Report Cards Tignor Steve Concrete Elbow Tennis.com 2008-07-08 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090203162307/http://tennisworld.typepad.com/thewrap/2008/07/w-report-cards.html 3 February 2009 livehttp://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/12/2008-nadal-beats-federer-greatest-match-all-time/56955/ 2008: NADAL BEATS FEDERER IN THE GREATEST MATCH OF ALL TIME Tignor Steve Tennis.com 2015-12-03 2015-12-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20090211000035/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2008%2F07%2F06%2FSPP711KSLR.DTL 11 February 2009 live https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/01/roger-federer-rafael-nadal-wimbledons-greatest-final-a-decade-on Federer v Nadal 2008: Wimbledon's greatest final a decade on 1 July 2018 The Guardian 12 July 2019https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2019/07/12/roger-federer-vs-rafael-nadal-wimbledon-2008-revisiting-greatest/ Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon 2008: Revisiting the greatest tennis match ever played July 12, 2019 Eccleshare, Charlie The Telegraphhttps://arysports.tv/wimbledon-2008-final-greatest-tennis-match-ever-played/ Wimbledon 2008 Final – Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played November 16, 2013 Haidery Raza https://thesportsrush.com/the-most-epic-match-federer-vs-nadal-wimbledon-08/ The Greatest Match of all Time – Federer vs Nadal, Wimbledon '08 August 19, 2016 Sarang Bargale https://scroll.in/field/956713/pause-rewind-play-federer-vs-nadal-wimbledon-2008-final-the-greatest-tennis-match-ever Pause, rewind, play: Wimbledon 2008 final, Federer vs Nadal – greatest tennis match of all time? Mar 2, 2020 Scroll Staff https://qz.com/1323045/a-graphical-replay-of-the-greatest-tennis-match-ever-played-10-years-later/ A graphical replay of the greatest tennis match ever played, 10 years later Mar 2, 2020 Sonnad Nikhil Quartzhttps://bleacherreport.com/articles/1697051-ranking-the-10-most-epic-matches-in-tennis-history Ranking the 10 Most Epic Matches in Tennis History July 10, 2013 Curtis Jake Bleacher Reporthttps://www.thetimes.com/sport/tennis/article/roger-federer-v-rafael-nadal-at-last-a-sequel-to-the-greatest-match-of-all-time-zlqn20j78 Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal: At last, a sequel to the greatest match of all time July 12, 2019 Fraser Stuart The Times lower-alpha Background Federer–Nadal rivalry Between 2004 and 2019, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had an intense rivalry that many contemporaries considered to be among the greatest in tennis history. International Herald Tribune (Associated Press) Federer-Nadal rivalry as good as it gets http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/07/sports/TEN-On-Tennis-Rafa---Roger.php 7 July 2008 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090301014437/http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/07/sports/TEN-On-Tennis-Rafa---Roger.php 1 March 2009 livePaul Weaver Move over McEnroe and Borg, this one will run and run in the memory https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jul/07/wimbledon.tennis4 The Guardian 7 July 2008 2009-02-14 London https://web.archive.org/web/20090123004930/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/07/wimbledon.tennis4 23 January 2009 live Martin Flanagan Federer v Nadal as good as sport gets The Age http://www.theage.com.au/news/tennis/federer-v-nadal-as-good-as-sport-gets/2008/07/11/1215658132528.html 12 July 2008 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090204175302/http://www.theage.com.au/news/tennis/federer-v-nadal-as-good-as-sport-gets/2008/07/11/1215658132528.html 4 February 2009 livehttp://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld/2009/01/tj.html Rivalry! Bodo Peter 30 January 2009 Peter Bodo's Tennisworld Tennis.com 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090211061027/http://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld/2009/01/tj.html 11 February 2009 livehttps://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=macgregor/090203&sportCat=tennis Greatest rivalry of the 21st century? MacGregor Jeff 3 February 2009 ESPN.com 2009-02-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20090212160857/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=macgregor%2F090203&sportCat=tennis 12 February 2009 live Cambers Simon Graf Simon 2022-10-29 Federer v Nadal: a great sporting rivalry rooted in mutual respect https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/oct/29/federer-v-nadal-a-great-sporting-rivalry-rooted-in-mutual-respect 2024-02-29 The Guardian en-GB 0261-3077 As they entered the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, the two men had combined to win 14 of the previous 16 Grand Slam titles (10 by Federer, 4 by Nadal). The 2008 final was the third consecutive year in which Federer and Nadal had met in the championship match of Wimbledon.Anderson Tim Wimbeldon Final 2008 Preview- Federer V Nadal. Where The Power Lies https://bleacherreport.com/articles/35277-wimbeldon-final-2008-preview-federer-v-nadal-where-the-power-lies 2024-03-14 Bleacher Report en Federer had won not only both previous meetings, but had been the reigning Wimbledon champion since 2003. Federer’s five consecutive titles (2003–2007) were a record shared with Björn Borg.2007-07-08 Federer wins historic fifth title https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/6280788.stm 2024-02-29 en-GB Federer was also looking to equal Borg's record of 41 consecutive match wins at Wimbledon, a record dating back to 1981.Top five players with most consecutive wins in men's singles at Wimbledon https://khelnow.com/tennis/top-five-players-with-most-consecutive-wins-in-mens-singles-at-wimbledon 2024-02-25 Khel Now en-us Federer had an overall active streak of 65 consecutive match wins on grass, dating back to June 2003, which still remains the longest tour-level grass-court winning streak for a male player in the Open Era.Tennis.com Roger Federer records that may never be broken: The 65-match grass-court winning streak https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/roger-federer-records-65-match-grass-winning-streak-wimbledon-nadal 2024-02-25 Tennis.com en At Wimbledon 2008, Federer was attempting to surpass Borg's record by becoming the first male player in the Open Era to win six consecutive Wimbledon titles, and the first since William Renshaw in 1886. Nadal had recently won his fourth French Open (all in succession), defeating Federer comprehensively in their third consecutive final of that tournament. The Spaniard was attempting to complete the French Open–Wimbledon double ("Channel Slam"); this feat was known to be extremely difficult because it required the player to make the switch from a slower clay surface to a faster grass surface within a fortnight. In the Open Era, only two men had previously achieved this feat: Rod Laver (1969) and Björn Borg (1978, 1979 & 1980). The physical fitness of both players was under question heading into this final. Federer had contracted mononucleosis in December 2007, and received medical clearance to train normally and compete on 20 February 2008.https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/sports/07iht-arena.3.10811374.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Federer battles off-court foe - mononucleosis The New York Times 7 March 2008 16 July 2014 Clarey Christopher Some analysts wondered whether his physical recovery was complete by the time of Wimbledon.https://www.si.com/more-sports/2009/05/14/federer-nadal How Nadal humbled Federer Sports Illustrated 5 June 2019Risks pay off for Federer The Gazette 1 February 2010 Myles, Stephanie B3 Others disagreed, opining that the vestiges of Federer's fatigue were no longer visible during the 2008 clay court season.https://bleacherreport.com/articles/609550-roger-federer-and-the-mono-myth-of-2008 Roger Federer and the Mono Myth of 2008 Bleacher Report February 28, 2011 Michael, Lanich On the other hand, in an interview for Movistar, Nadal stated that his foot was severely injured, requiring anesthesia before the match, and "had to play with my foot asleep".https://www.essentiallysports.com/i-had-to-play-with-my-foot-asleep-rafael-nadal-recalls-2008-wimbledon-victory-over-roger-federer-atp-tennis-news/ "I couldn't play without anesthesia" - Rafael Nadal on Wimbledon 2008 final vs Roger Federer July 3, 2020 Bhavishya, Mittal Match details thumb|300px|right|Federer serving for the third set against Nadal in the Wimbledon final Although the players were due on court at 14:00 BST on 6 July 2008, rain delayed the start of the match by about 35 minutes. The umpire was Pascal Maria fr. Nadal won the first two sets 6–4, 6–4 (he won the second set by winning 5 consecutive games after trailing 1–4), and had triple break point at 3–3, 0–40 on Federer's serve in the third set. Federer won five consecutive points and held serve. A few minutes later rain stopped play once again, with Federer leading in the third set 5–4. After an 80-minute break for the weather, Federer battled back to win the next two sets, 7–6, 7–6, saving two championship points in the fourth set tiebreak. That fourth set tiebreakhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEMBXNmOTOw Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal Wimbledon 2008 Fourth set tie-break 2018-07-06 Wimbledon 2025-01-30 YouTube is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever played. With the score at 5–2, Nadal had the opportunity to win the title on his next two serves. However, he double faulted, then netted a backhand, bringing the tiebreak back on serve. Nadal saved a set point and had his first championship point, but failed to return Federer's serve. At 7–7, Nadal hit a seemingly impossible forehand down the line past Federer, setting up another championship point, this time on his serve, but Federer responded with an equally remarkable backhand down the line to extend the match. BBC commentator Andrew Castle said, "The two best passing shots of the tournament, without doubt, have just taken place on the last two points."Jewell Alan Wimbledon: Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer's 2008 final – what made it so special? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/44517976 BBC Sport 9 July 2018 29 June 2018 A second rain delay at 19:53 BST kept the players in the locker room for another 30 minutes. When they returned onto the court, darkness had already started setting in, threatening to delay the match until the next day. During the deciding set, Federer was two points away from claiming his sixth consecutive Wimbledon crown, but Nadal ultimately held serve and eventually broke Federer's serve in the 15th game of the set. Nadal then served out the match in the following game and won the final set 9–7, claiming his first Wimbledon and fifth Grand Slam tournament singles title. The match ended in near darkness at 21:15 BST.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7490443.stm Nadal wins epic Wimbledon final bbc 2008-06-06 25 June 2010 During the match, Federer only converted one of thirteen break points on Nadal's serve. It was the last Wimbledon final to be significantly affected by rain, as a retractable roof was being installed at Centre Court and was in place by the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. Statistics Category SUI Federer ESP Nadal 1st serve % 65% 73% Aces25 6 Double faults 2 3Winners8960 Unforced errors (UFE) 5227Winner-UFE+37 +33 Winning % on 1st serve73% 69% Winning % on 2nd serve 57%59% Receiving points won 33% 33% Break point conversions 1/13 (7%)4/13 (30%) Net approaches won 42/75 (56%)22/31 (71%) Total points won 204209 Fastest serve129 mph on 126 mph on Average 1st serve speed117 mph on 112 mph on Average 2nd serve speed100 mph on 93 mph on Werthein L. Jon Strokes of Genius June 2009 207 978-0547416496 https://books.google.com/books?id=1rOerr2Ci-0C&q=official+stats+wimbledon+2008+final&pg=PA207 Significance At 4 hours and 48 minutes, the match at the time was the longest singles final at Wimbledon in terms of time played. It was overtaken by the 2019 men's singles final (4 hours and 57 minutes), another match involving Federer, in which he lost to Novak Djokovic. Nadal defeated Federer at his most successful major and ended his 40-match winning streak at Wimbledon: his last defeat was to Mario Ancic at the 2002 tournament. By winning the match, Nadal achieved the rare French Open–Wimbledon double ("Channel Slam"), joining Rod Laver and Björn Borg as the only men to do so in the Open Era at the time. 43 days following the final, after a record 160 consecutive weeks spent as world no. 2, Nadal finally overtook Federer in the ATP rankings, ending Federer's record 237 consecutive weeks as world no. 1. Some tennis analysts questioned whether 2008 was the beginning of Federer's decline (in favour of the younger Nadal).Federer refuses to go quietly 28 March 2009 The Palm Beach Post Frias, Carlos 1c,5c Federer, however, regained the top ranking on three occasions after this loss; after winning Wimbledon in 2009 and 2012, and the Rotterdam Open in 2018. Federer also made the finals of the next six consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, winning four: 2008 US Open (won), 2009 Australian Open (finalist), 2009 French Open (won), 2009 Wimbledon (won), 2009 US Open (finalist), and 2010 Australian Open (won). In contrast, Nadal only made one Grand Slam final during this period, defeating Federer in the 2009 Australian Open final. Federer won a further four majors later in his career, between 2012-18, before retiring in 2022. He ended his career with a total of 20 Grand Slams. Nadal, in turn, went onto to win a total of 22 Grand Slams — and holding the number 1 ranking on several occasions — before his retirement in November 2024. Thus, Nadal and Federer have a combined Grand Slam total of 42, with 25 coming after the 2008 final (17:8 in favour of Nadal). Notes References External links Match details at the official ATP site The full match in HD Extended highlights Men's Singles Final Men's Singles Final 2008 Category:Rafael Nadal tennis matches Category:Roger Federer tennis matches