"The day tennis learned the name Rafael Nadal and never forgot it" - Tennis fans pick Wimbledon 2008 final as the match they would love to attend

Tennis fans say they would have attended Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer Wimbledon final in 2008 if given a chance
Tennis fans say they would have attended Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer Wimbledon final in 2008 if given a chance

Tennis fans have stated that they would have loved to witness Rafael Nadal dethroning Roger Federer as the Wimbledon champion in the epic 2008 title clash.

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Although Nadal had won four French Opens by then and led 11-6 head-to-head against Federer, he had also lost the Wimbledon finals against the Swiss legend in 2006 and 2007.

In what is considered to be the greatest tennis match in the history of the sport by numerous experts and fans, the then 22-year-old Spaniard defeated five-time defending champion Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 to win his first Wimbledon title. The thriller was backed by elements like the rivalry between the top two players, their history at Wimbledon, five sets, rain delays, and an extraordinary level of tennis.

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Wimbledon recently asked fans to choose a match from the history at SW19 that they wished they could have attended. Numerous names popped up like Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Serena Williams, Goran Ivanisevic, John McEnroe, and Maria Sharapova. Quite a few fans also nominated the 2019 men's singles final, where Novak Djokovic saved two match points to beat Federer.

However, the majority overwhelmingly chose the 2008 final, suggesting that Nadal marked his arrival on that day.

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"There’s only one answer. The match - Federer v Nadal. Wimbledon final 2008. Why? It was the day tennis learned the name Rafael Nadal and never forgot it. The golden boy met his match. Imagine being a spectator that day, I’d never shut up," a fan tweeted.
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"The greatest match of all time, of course. Unprecedented drama, incredible tennis, both players the perfect foil to each other’s games. With this match, no one could deny that their rivalry was going to be one for the ages," a user wrote.
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"My dream: 2008 the Fedal finale. Even though I'm a Federer fan. The why: It has everything related to tennis how it should be. The drama, the comeback. The quality of tennis.. and of course the Fedal," a tweet read.
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Here are some more fan reactions:

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A look at the Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer's rivalry

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after the 2019 French Open
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after the 2019 French Open

Despite their iconic 15-year-old rivalry, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, two of the greatest players of all time, shared a great bond.

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Federer wanted to play his last professional match at the 2022 Laver Cup alongside Nadal. In what was an emotional moment, the world saw the two sit next to each other and shed tears.

They squared off against each other as many as 40 times between 2004 and 2019. Nadal won 24 of those intense encounters, with 16 going in the Swiss maestro's favor. At the Majors, he led 10-4, including a 6-0 record at the French Open and 3-1 in Melbourne.

However, Federer had the upper hand at Wimbledon (3-1). They never met each other at the US Open.

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Edited by Anirudh Velamuri
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