‘I never imagined something like this’ – Nadal reflects on Wimbledon 2008 win

It remains arguably the greatest men’s match ever played.

The drama, the quality, the implications of victory for either Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer – it all contributed to an unforgettable masterpiece which concluded as darkness descended on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, nearly seven hours after the 2008 singles final began.

It ended in a seismic five-set victory for the then 22-year-old Nadal, and one the 22-time Grand Slam champion now sees as being crucial to his future success.

“To be able to beat the best player on grass in a final, after all the things that happened during the match, was something to be proud of,” Nadal told the BBC’s Sporting Witness earlier this year.

“But I was a player that, because of my character, I was never 100% in peace.

“I had achieved that, but now I have to keep going. That’s the way my mind worked all my tennis career – and that’s what I did.”

During his career, Nadal established his status as the undisputed ‘King of Clay’.

The Spaniard won 14 of his 22 major titles on that surface at Roland Garros, where a plaque bearing his footprint was unveiled on Court Philippe Chatrier in tribute to his achievements.

Because of his superiority on clay, some doubted Nadal’s ability on other surfaces. While he did not have those same doubts internally, a statement Slam triumph away from the French Open felt crucial to silencing the critics.

“I always had in my mind that I need to play well on grass and in every surface to become a complete player,” Nadal, 40, said.

“I was not that bad. The truth is, I was achieving a lot on hard and grass courts but, because I was winning on clay, people considered me a clay-court player.”

After winning his first French Open in 2005, Nadal lost his sole grass-court match in his only tournament before Wimbledon, before suffering a shock second-round exit at SW19.

Nadal did not practise on the grass after his maiden Roland Garros win – something he now regards as a mistake.

Nadal won another French Open title in 2006. The day after lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires, he was already practising on the grass.

That year, he reached the first of what would be three successive Wimbledon finals against Federer, who had not lost at the grass-court major since 2002.

Federer had beaten Nadal in four sets in the 2006 Wimbledon final – including a first-set bagel – and five sets 12 months later. He arrived at the 2008 championships as the five-time defending champion.

But, four weeks before their Wimbledon showdown, Nadal had destroyed Federer 6-1 6-3 6-0 in the Roland Garros final to give him the confidence he could dethrone his rival.

“I lost already two finals. In 2008,
I arrived to the tournament ready. For me, it was a huge goal to win Wimbledon,” Nadal said.

The final between the pair was one of the most anticipated of their rivalry – but few could have predicted what unfolded in a five-set, near-seven-hour rain-delayed epic that is etched into history.

Nadal entered the Wimbledon final on a 23-match winning streak, a run that included lifting the Queen’s title and his fourth straight French Open triumph.

He picked up exactly where he had left off in Paris against the Swiss, storming into a two-set lead.

The Spaniard inflicted the first blow on Federer’s serve in the third game and then saw off two break points to serve out the set at 5-4.

And he took complete control as he battled back from 4-1 down in the second, winning five games in a row to go two sets up.

“I started the final playing well – first set very well, second set
was a little strange and Roger made a couple of mistakes,” Nadal reflected.

“But then as the match starts to become more level, Roger raised the level of his tennis. He was more and more aggressive.”

Federer appeared on the ropes as he trailed 0-40 on serve at 3-3 in the third set but recovered with five straight points to hold. Then, at 16:51 local time, with Federer leading 5-4, the rain began to fall.

“I was ready to keep going, to be honest. I was confident that I will not fail: Roger could beat me, but I will not fail,” Nadal said.

“If he plays better than me, OK, but I cannot fail mentally. That was my real goal.

“I went back on court with the determination to stay 100% ready to fight until the end.”

The players were able to return to the court after 18:00 and both held serve to take the fourth set to a tie-break.

A missed backhand from Federer left Nadal just two points from the title at 5-2 – but the Swiss won the next four points, including a double fault from the Spaniard.

Federer had a first set point at 6-5, Nadal a championship point at 7-6, and another at 8-7 following a stunning passing shot, but Federer eventually forced a fifth set after 18 points.

“I lost the third set. All good – he played very well, served very well. But the fourth set tie-break was a heartbreaker for me,” Nadal said.

“You feel seconds away to win Wimbledon and, after that second, you need to fight for another set after losing two sets in a row against the best grass-court player in history.

“Mentally, to organise all of this was a challenge.”

As the tension ramped up, the rain returned shortly before 20:00 with the deciding set poised at two games apiece.

Nadal and Federer returned half an hour later, with about an hour’s playable light left once they resumed.

Darkness crept in as the match stretched beyond 21:00, the set continuing on serve until Federer faltered on a fourth break point in the 15th game at 7-7.

Whatever happened when Nadal walked out to serve for the championship, the referee had already decided that would be the final game of Sunday’s play.

Nadal reached a third championship point – but Federer escaped with a stunning backhand. A huge first serve set up his fourth and, this time, Federer sent a forehand into the net.

An exhausted Nadal collapsed on to the grass in celebration, before climbing up into the stands to celebrate with his family and team.

The scoreboard read 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7 to Nadal. After four hours and 48 minutes of tennis, Wimbledon had a new champion.

It would be the last match to be played on Centre Court before a roof was installed. No final at SW19 would ever be quite like it again.

“It’s impossible to explain what I felt in that moment,” Nadal said.

“It was a dream playing on this court. But win? I never imagined something like this.

“That helped me to become number one in the world, without a doubt. It helped me to keep believing in my abilities, that I can win in other places.

“2008 was an amazing step forward in my career, because I showed myself that I was able to win outside of clay in a Grand Slam.

“It’s one of the most emotional matches in my career, without doubt.”

A year later, Nadal would win his first Australian Open title. 2010 brought him a first US Open to complete the career Grand Slam.

He would win Wimbledon once more and play Federer many more times – but it is the 2008 final that has lived long in the memory.