AFTERMATH: Nadal wins 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7

‘IT’S the best match I’ve ever seen, says Castle. ‘Everybody knew they had to be better after that match.’

Henman agrees: ‘FedererNadal is one of the greatest rivalries, Wimbledon is the biggest and best tournament in the world, the final is the most important match and then the level of play. You add all those ingredients and it is the best match I’ve ever seen.’

A decade on and surprisingly little has changed. Jarrett is still tournament referee and Bloxham is master of ceremonies. Maria has retired and now works for the French Tennis Federation but Castle and Henman will be back in the BBC booth and Stosur will play at her 15th Championships.

Most remarkably of all, Federer and Nadal are still on top and, at the respective ages of 36 and 32, arguably playing better than they ever have.

Yesterday, here at Wimbledon, Nadal reflected: ‘That is one of the most emotional matches I played in. For me to win here was one of my dreams.

‘That final created a big impact in my tennis career. The personal satisfaction is difficult to compare with other things.

‘Today I see that like a long time ago. But the good thing is I am still here. I am happy for that.’

John McEnroe was commentating on the match for US television. ‘You’re able to sit back and call a match where you’re basically not saying anything, which I believe was the appropriate response in the fifth set, let it speak for itself,’ he says, speaking as an ESPN analyst for Wimbledon. ‘It was the best match I’d ever witnessed.’ The BBC is bringing extensive coverage of Wimbledon 2018 across TV, radio and online starting July 2