Federer, Nadal & the Greatest Match Ever—An Oral History, Part 3 of 12

Few tennis matches have seemed as fated to be classics as the one that was played on Wimbledon’s Centre Court on July 6, 2008. The skies over southwest London were ominous that afternoon, but anticipation had rarely run higher. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were about to face off in another final at the All England Club.

TRAILER: Strokes of Genius, sponsored by Humana

Part 3: Settling In(follow the entire oral history at TENNIS.com/StrokesOfGenius)

Ted Robinson, Tennis Channel and NBC television commentator: By 2008, I had been doing Breakfast at Wimbledon for eight years, but this day felt like it called for something more. Nadal versus Federer was more than a match, it was two champions who had established their turf and were going to war over it. We had known for a long time that Roger was one of the greats, but by 2008 Rafa had joined him. For one of them to win on the other’s surface would be a major sea change in the game.

It wasn’t a glorious, sunny day the way it was the previous year. The clouds and the forecast for rain made everything uncertain, and seemed to raise everyone’s anxiety levels a little. You felt from the start that we were a long way from knowing who the winner was going to be. That feeling just kept getting more excruciating.

At Wimbledon there are places it’s understood that you can’t go. But for the first time, John [McEnroe, Robinson’s co-commentator] and I were able to tape our opening from inside the club, in front of the plaques where the past champions are listed. That sense of history, seeing John’s and Bjorn [Borg]’s names there, felt appropriate for the day.

A LANDMARK DOCUMENTARY DURING THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS EVENT IN SPORTS, CELEBRATING THE UNPARALLELED FEDERER-NADAL RIVALRY AND 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREATEST MATCH EVER PLAYED.

In association with All England Lawn & Tennis Club, Rock Paper Scissors Entertainment and Amblin Television.  Directed by Andrew Douglas.