Brown, a qualifier from Germany, outwitted 14-time Grand Slam champion Nadal over four sets, winning 7-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 in a thrilling encounter on Centre Court.
Nadal, the the 2008 and 2010 Wimbledon champion,??who was scheduled to meet Britain’s Andy Murray in the quarter-finals, had lost to Brown at their only previous meeting in Halle in 2014 and the??
It was the 29-year-old’s first ever defeat to a qualifier at a Grand Slam and came in the aftermath of losing his French Open crown where he had been champion nine times.
The loss followed his 2012 second round exit to World No 100 Lukas Rosol, a first round beating by the 135-ranked Steve Darcis in 2013 and last year’s fourth round defeat to Nick Kyrgios, who was at 144 at the time.
“I had actually never been on Centre Court before,” said Brown.
“They asked me before the match if I wanted to go on the court. I didn’t know what was going to happen, so I just said I’ll just go on when I play.
Nadal had the luxury of the first break for a 3-1 advantage in the opening set which was quickly cancelled out by Brown in the fifth game.
Normal service was resumed in the second set with the 14-time major winner breaking in the third and ninth games to level the contest.
But Brown was far from disheartened, continuing to attack at every opportunity, and he gained the crucial break in the fifth game of the third set against an increasingly bamboozled and error-plagued Nadal.
Sensing victory was there for the taking, the 30-year-old Brown broke in the first game of the fourth set courtesy of a wild, mis-hit Nadal backhand which sailed wide.
Nadal saved two match points in the ninth game of the fourth set but Brown sealed a memorable victory on his 13th ace.
Brown will now face Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in the third round.