Nadal hopes to turn back clock
NOT IDEAL: HIS WIMBLEDON RECORD IS POOR OF LATE
London
Ten years after outduelling Roger Federer to win the Wimbledon final, Rafael Nadal returns to the All England Club still basking in the warm glow of that epic encounter.
After losing to Federer in successive Wimbledon finals, Nadal finally got the better of the Swiss star in a thrilling 2008 clash many regard as the finest to have graced the hallowed Centre Court.
Nadal’s 6–4, 6–4, 6–7 (5/7), 6–7 (8/10), 9–7 victory was a defining moment for the Spaniard as it gave him a first Grand Slam crown away from his favoured clay at the French Open.
The match marked the high point of a captivating rivalry between Nadal and Federer that played a huge role in tennis’ resurgence as a multimillion-pound business.
For Nadal, the significance was far more personal. Aware of how important it was to legitimise himself by beating Federer at Wimbledon, Nadal went on to win on hard courts at the Australian and US Opens and emerged as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Nadal, now with 17 major titles on his CV, has arrived for Wimbledon with the anniversary of his finest moment sparking happy memories.
He told a press conference at Wimbledon: “It probably is one of the most emotional matches that I played in my career. “Yeah, everybody knows that for me to win here was one of my dreams. After losing two finals, that final created a big impact in my tennis career.”
Nadal went on to win Wimbledon again in 2010 before a host of injury problems forced him to take a step back.
He is back on top of the ATP rankings after winning an 11th French Open in June.
Asked what has changed since that golden evening against Federer, the 32-tear-old said: “I’m older, more kilometres under my legs. In general terms, important things in life didn’t change much.”
Despite his strong form at Wimbledon in the first half of his career, Nadal hasn’t been past the last-16 since 2011.