The 2008 Wimbledon final was nothing short of a spectacle in itself. It marked the third consecutive time that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer met in the penultimate match of the Championships, and it is regarded as one of the most memorable finals in the history of the sport.

Nadal came into this match after losing in the previous two finals, so the pressure was clearly on him. The Spaniard made a strong start and won the first two sets 6-4, 6-4. But just when it looked like he was about to go all the way, Federer went on to make a comeback for the ages.

The reigning five-time Wimbledon champion refused to go down easily and won the next two sets 7-6, 7-6 to force the match into a decider. Nadal had lost all momentum from his side, but thankfully for him, the rain stalled the encounter. Even his coach, Toni Nadal, didn’t quite know what to say. Despite losing the previous two sets, Nadal had decided that he would win this match no matter what.

“He may beat me, but I’m not going to lose. Mentally, I’m going to be a 100% in every point. I can’t allow myself a single moment of weakness. I was willing to suffer more than him,” Nadal said in his Netflix documentary titled ‘Rafa‘.

As the action resumed after a brief delay, Nadal made his way back into the match. The final set would also go down to the wire as both players simply refused to give in. Then at 7-7, Federer’s serve crumbled and capitalizing on the opportunity, Nadal got a crucial break and took a vital lead in the decider.

Nadal played the next game brilliantly and was on match point. Coming into the match, Toni had advised him to serve on Federer’s backhand if he had a match point. However, this strategy didn’t quite work when Nadal in the moment. So, he decided to switch it up and tried to surprise Federer by serving on his forehand instead. This idea worked out well as Federer committed an unforced error on his second return, handing Nadal the set as he won his first-ever Wimbledon crown 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 after a grueling four hours and 48 minutes.

“I think that Roger at that moment, was at his limit. He is waiting for me to serve to his backhand. Maybe I could surprise him. There are no easy balls. I had given him a ball where he had time to think. Sometimes it’s easier to hit without thinking,” Nadal further said.

This was Nadal’s fifth Grand Slam win at the time and his second of the year, as he had also defeated Federer in the French Open final. While the rivalry between the two had already become big by that point, it was arguably this match that solidified it as one of the best rivalries ever.

The sheer grit and resilience that Nadal showcased that day made him a role model for young tennis players all around the world. But 2008 wasn’t his only comeback from the brink. Almost 14 years after the famous victory over Federer in Wimbledon, Nadal was once again in a situation where defeat appeared to be his only fate. However, he turned the tide around when no one expected it.

Rafael Nadal’s incredible victory over Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final

Nadal took on Daniil Medvedev in what many consider to be the greatest Australian Open final ever. The Russian was favored to be the champion following his dominant form since winning the 2021 US Open. Unlike him, Nadal had been in multiple grueling matches, including the five-set marathon against Denis Shapovalov in the quarterfinals.

Just like Nadal in 2008, Medvedev made a solid start to the final in Melbourne and won the first two sets 6-2, 7-6. The Spaniard was clearly not playing at his best, and it appeared that the match was slipping away. Many were certain that he would lose the final after Medvedev clinched a crucial point when he was leading 3-2, 0-40 in the third set. However, Nadal wasn’t done yet.

On the verge of going down a break, Nadal went on to win the next five points to clinch the game and from here, he just didn’t look back. Though Medvedev won the next game, Nadal held his serve before gaining a crucial break to make it 5-4. He then played a solid service game to win the set 6-4.

The next set would also be pretty evenly-matched as well but Nadal would get an early break to take a 3-2 lead. He remained strong on his serve throughout the set to eventually take it 6-4 and drag the match into a fifth.

The fifth set again saw Nadal break early and take a vital lead. However, Medvedev wouldn’t go down that easily and broke the Spaniard’s serve at 5-4 to level up the set. But Nadal would regain his composure in the next game itself and take it down to the wire. A number of unforced errors from Medvedev would only help the Spaniard even further as he broke right back to take a decisive 6-5 lead.

Though Medvedev didn’t back down until the end, it just wasn’t meant to be his day as Nadal comfortably held his serve to take the final set 7-5 and win his 21st Grand Slam. This is the kind of comeback that will be talked about for ages to come and fans fondly remember it even today.

This was another final where the odds were totally stacked against Nadal at one stage. He was very well on the cusp of losing but just refused to fold even under immense pressure. Though it wasn’t the first time that Nadal made a comeback, this one meant a lot more both for him and his fans.

It showed that even a 35-year-old Nadal was nothing less than a 21-year-old Nadal and was still as resilient as ever. The Spaniard will undoubtedly go down as one of the finest to ever step foot on a tennis court, and one of the reasons behind this is the unbreakable passion and determination that he possesses for the sport.

It won’t be wrong to say that it will be a next to an impossible to find a 2nd Rafael Nadal even in the future.