Beijing Olympics, 2008
2008 did not begin well for the Swiss maestro. He relinquished his Australian Open title when the defending champion lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. He also lost to Rafael Nadal in the French Open that year.
Come Wimbledon, the tournament whose mention would bring a twinkle in his eye – and he reached the finals!
The final match made its entry into the history books and he became a part of the history. The epic final played over five hours, became the longest final in the history of the Wimbledon and one of the best tennis matches of all time.
He and Nadal played a nerve-wrecking match, in which Nadal avenged his loss from the hands of Federer in a similar match a year ago.
After his disappointing runs in the majors till that time of the year, the Olympics undoubtedly had a special significance for Federer that year. He had a point to prove.
But the disappointment continued as he lost to James Blake in the quarter-finals. He was beaten in straight sets by the American former No. 4, with Federer not eligible to contest even for the bronze medal.
It was not a total washout for the Swiss, though, as he won Olympic doubles gold with compatriot Stan Wawrinka.
Later that year, he lost the number one ranking to Nadal, who had a fantastic 2008, winning the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympic Gold medal that year.
There was some respite for Federer, however, when he won the U.S Open. He ended the year as ranked world number two, missing out on top position for the first time since securing the top rank.
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