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‘My Head Had Failed Me’: Rafael Nadal Hated Himself During an Intense 3rd Set Against Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2008 Finals

Published 08/24/2022, 2:42 PM EDT

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Tennis fans have undoubtedly been eager to witness Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s clash once more. The two have captivated tennis fans throughout the years with their daring performances on the court. Like fans, the two legends of the sport have also enjoyed pushing each other to their absolute limits. In his autobiography, the Spaniard discussed Federer’s qualities while talking about what many fans consider the best match in tennis history, the Wimbledon final in 2008.

Although the two have faced each other on countless occasions after that iconic match, it has been a while since fans have witnessed the two legends battle it out on court. Since their 2019 Wimbledon semi-final encounter, in which Federer defeated Nadal for the 16th time, the two players haven’t faced off in a competitive match.

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Rafael Nadal expresses his emotions after messing up against Federer

In his book, “Rafa: My Story,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner described how he felt when he made errors in the game and knew was losing. During the third set in the final of the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. When the match started going out of Nadal’s hands, he started getting frantic. 

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Talking about this, he said “My head had failed me. I knew that was not the shot to hit, but I had a moment’s hesitation, a moment of fear, and hit it anyway. I went for the conservative option, I lost my courage. And at that moment, I hated myself for that.”

‘27,000 People Erupted..’ – Rafael Nadal Narrates Football-Like Madness During an Intense Davis Cup Match Against America’s Andy Roddick

The 2008 Wimbledon final is rightly considered as one of the most interesting matches ever witnessed on a tennis court. Nadal, in his autobiography, has detailed about how he felt during each game; from the moment he felt like he lost the match to his triumph over Federer in the fifth set.

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Where are Federer and Nadal these days?

The legendary Spaniard and the Swiss Maestro have one of tennis’ fiercest rivalries. Unbelievably, Federer and Nadal have faced off 40 times. The Spaniard has dominated his rivalry with Federer, winning 24 of the 40 matches they have played.

Now, Nadal has been practicing in Flushing Meadows for the US Open, but Federer is still out because of a knee injury he suffered last year. He will return later this year, though. In addition to the Swiss Indoors Basel, the Swiss maestro will compete in the Laver Cup.

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Watch this story – Serena Williams’ dog named after Rafael Nadal boosts her morale after a grueling training session.

While Federer is struggling to cope with his aging body, Nadal is still regarded as one of the fittest athletes in the sporting world. Even at 36, the former World No.1 stands above the younger generation in this regard. Having won two major championships this season, Nadal has a fantastic chance to complete the year as the top-ranked player in the world if he dominates in the upcoming US Open.

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Written by:

Pratishtha Prakash

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Pratishtha Prakash is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media and Journalism from MIT ADT University, Pune. Being a sports enthusiast, she has a keen interest in tennis, cricket and esports.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas