The 2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the men's singles tournament at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. A part of the storied Federer–Nadal rivalry, it pitted then-top ranked Roger Federer against then second-ranked Rafael Nadal. After 4 hours and 48 minutes of play, Nadal defeated Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7. The match is regarded by many as the greatest tennis match ever played. Background Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have a storied rivalry that many consider to be the greatest in tennis history. As they entered the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, the two men had combined to win 14 of the previous 16 Grand Slam titles. The 2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles final was the third consecutive year in which Federer and Nadal had met in the finals of Wimbledon. Federer had won not only both previous meetings, but had also been the Wimbledon champion the previous five years. Nadal, on the other hand, had just won the French Open for the fourth time in a row, having defeated Federer in their third consecutive final encounter, and was trying to achieve the rare French Open-Wimbledon double (Channel Slam). This feat was known to be extremely difficult because it required the player to make the switch from a slow clay surface to a fast grass surface within a month. In the Open Era of tennis, only two men had previously achieved this feat: Rod Laver and Björn Borg. Since this showdown match, Federer has completed the Roland-Garros/Wimbledon double in 2009, Nadal achieved the feat for the second time in 2010, and Novak Djokovic achieved it in 2021. Federer contracted mononucleosis around December 2007 and received medical clearance to train normally and compete on 20 February 2008, five days before the 2008 Dubai Tennis Championships started. Some analysts wondered whether his physical recovery was complete by the time of Wimbledon. Others disagreed and considered that Federer's vestiges of fatigue were no longer visible during the 2008 clay season. On the other hand, in an interview for Movistar, Nadal stated that his foot was severely injured, requiring anesthesia before the match, and "had to play with my foot asleep". Match details Although the players were due on court at 14:00 BST on 6 July 2008, rain delayed the start of the match by about 35 minutes. The umpire was . Nadal won the first two sets 6–4, 6–4, but the