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.”