Looking back; these men produced levels of tennis in this match that are positively soul stirring. Fedfan or Rafaholic... just be glad you have seen them play.
im just going to be so sad when they retire. i really hope federer has two more years in him, and years where he still can win a grand slam.well i still wish i could get to an actual french open at roland garos to see nadal win, but im running out of time and im housebound.i am the biggest nadal fan and followed him since he was 16 years old. i love federer too, but i couldnt start supporting federer until nadal got his 15th grand slam taking him past sampras, and then i was just happy for nadal to get the french and federer could have everythihg else. i dont like djokovic.not personally-he's a great guy. just his style of play doesnt excite me.. now that nadal is two behind federer though, priorities have changed, want nadal to catch up and tie him on 20.i would be happy for both of them to finish on 20 but for the djokovic threat and since nadal is the much more likely of the two to get more slams, federer being 37, i would then have to support nadal to go past 20 grand slams to make sure djokovic doesnt end up as having the most slams
this match is imo, the greatest match of tennis ever played in terms of quality, very few unforced errors from both guys ( if you can call them unforced) and the shot making and defense in this match is just absurd. Every rally was breathtaking and the level was just exceptional, i've watched more than 1000 tennis matches in my life in this is still my favorite in terms of quality
It really was the start of the biggest crack in the Federer myth and proved that Nadal's highest level was better than Federer's on all surfaces. It's pretty clear nowadays that Federer is the third best of his own era.
I still honestly think this is the best first 4 sets of a match these 2 have ever played (vs each other). The shot making and angles were absolutely insane!
Back during this time, ONLY Nadal would cause Fed to move up and down, and left to right on the court. Federer looked very, very relaxed playing against everyone else.
Honestly the 2009 Australian Open for Nadal was one of his best performances in his entire career, 5+ hour match victory against Verdasco in the SF then another really long classic match in the final against his rival Roger to win the title, after being so tired probably from the SF to turn around in the final and give it all you got despite the fatigue and defeat Federer for the title is amazing
Yeah. This one might be my favorite. I STILL don't understand how Nadal won that first set. Fed was taking it TO that man; just dominating control of points. But the defensive shots Nadal was coming up with were...extraterrestrial.
@@synhet84 Nole is a great player and may have better peak level than these two but he's quite boring to watch..I cant even watch Rafa and nole match because of boring robotic style of Nole.
I can see why federer was in tears afterwards because i think this game was the best of federer at the time and the irritation of losing still at the end mustve been frustrating. As a federer fan , i remember i always felt that federer cannot beat prime nadal, nadal coverance of the ball was insane during the time.
It was his backhand against Nadal that he struggled with. He improved with the new racquet. I wonder if it would have changed his career had he started with a bigger head size. Most guys play with close to 100sqinch and fed was 90sqinch
It's heartbreaking how simple it was for Nadal to play Federer : keep pummeling the backhand. Federer was a little slow to change to a modern racquet. Post that change + hugging the baseline, Nadal hasn't really been able to bother Roger too much on his BH side. This match could've been a very different story with the new racquet. Here Federer is pretty much stripped of hitting cross court backhands to any advantage.
@@shrirajmukherjee have you ever thought that Nadal was fast as lightning back then? It wasn’t all about hitting to Federer’s backhand. Nadal back then was best returner in the game, as well as having the best net game of all singles players. In addition Nadal being able to hit winners from any defensive position, is the real reason he routinely beat Federer. Federer did not beat Rafa at a GS for almost a 8 years until AO 2017.
@@scottandigan6276 Don't forget Fed was no slouch either back then. Nothing bothered Fed as much as Nadal's lefty cross court forehand - which is not the same as saying Nadal had no other strengths. Of course Nadal was brilliant at many things, but none of them hurt Fed even remotely as much as the Nadal FH to his own single handed BH. It really was all about hitting to Fed's BH, both while serving and during rallies. Fed wasn't very fast at AO 17 either, much slower than Nadal in raw speed. The difference simple was amping up his BH and better court positioning.
We talked a lot about Thiem and the fact he's had only a day before the final. One must not forget the gruesome semifinal Nadal had to go through against Verdasco, only to play an other 5setter vs Federer. Besides, the conditions in Australia are brutal. Nothing like in Paris 10 days ago
No sport requires skill, technique, perseverance, tenacity and talent as much as tennis!!! I'm convinced Edit: No sport, especially ball sports, demands all the aforementioned abilities and mental stability like tennis. That's demanded from the get-go to the very end. All other sports, you're a warrior for a specified time. But in tennis, you're a warrior until there's one winner who met the requirements.
Tennis19999 yeah. I've always been confused when people say the 2008 Wimbledon final was overall a higher quality match. It was a closer, nail-biting, intense, epic, high quality match, but the 09 AO final had some of the best rallies and most high quality tennis I've seen. Nadal certainly played at such a high level in this match. I'd say even better than the 08 Wimbledon final. This match is a big part to tennis history, including the unforgettable ceremony after. I was heartbroken as a Fed fan, but that made the rest of 09 so much sweeter. It was a defining moment in men's tennis history, just as much as the 08 Wimbledon match imo.
I would agree. That match really shows Feds heart and determination in the 5ty set and whole match. Nadal gave everything that year just as he did in 08. Gotta credit Nadal for gutting out the win in 08 after the 07 loss
Federer's court positioning was off few times here and his infamous, atrocious conversion rate. Losing games after having 3,4 even 5 break points sometimes.
@@slytlion Fed was taken to 5 sets by a paralyzed Agassi and was defeated by baby Nadal on his best surface. There's a reason Fed tanked to avoid Nadal in 2013 USO.
This is the best match on hard court in the history of tennis PERIOD. I counted at least 40 shots that could easily make the highlights in any top ten list.
2009 is very unique tennis special year Only time Nadal won Australian Only time Federer won Roland Garros Only time Nadal was defeated in Roland Garros Only time Roddick was close to win Wimbledon and only time was close to beat Federer in GS Only time Juan Martin Delpotro won GS in US
Is it just me or matches from this time are just like, many times better than the best matches of nowadays? Th intensity, shot making and tenacity of these two is just unbelievable, not something you could find right now. Wish these two could’ve stayed at this level forever, but now sadly federer can’t run like this to conserve his energy and Nadal doesn’t hit the ball nowhere near as hard, truly a shame these men had to age.
You're looking through fanboy lenses. The game is objectively a higher level now. Watch any Djokodal slam match and you will find a higher level, just with less fancy one-hand backhands into the net.
I'm a huge Rafa fan, but the AO 2012 is right up there too. Wimby 08 is the pinnacle of tennis in my opinion, no match will ever compare, the sport will have to change too much for the subjectivity to change.
+Valden 7 Dude Wimby 08 became great because of the way Federer forced the fifth. Honestly in 2008 Nadal was a beast and Federer was nowhere near his 2006-07 level. Indirectly that year Rafa had the game to beat Roger in straights that year in Wimby and it should have happened if there weren't so many interruptions. 70 percent of the time in that match Rafa kept spinning to the RF backhand and ultimately RF errored. In terms of quality AO 2009, 2012 and 2017 are all higher. In terms of drams 08 was definitely higher.
The same excuse always comes when Wimby 08 is discussed. Federer didn't look his best because Nadal was so good and didn't allow him to play his best, it was simply remarkable how Roger fought off 2 tie breakers to force a 5th set, Rafa's nerves and Roger laser focus helped him, however the result was inevitable and Rafa dethroned Roger on his own turf during his prime years. Roger will never lay claim of doing the same at RG.
This was the perfect intersection of their careers where they actually both had something to prove, and you can see it in the hustle on EVERY point. Fed was finally dethroned as #1 after getting beat on his home turf at Wimbledon 6 months earlier so he obviously had a chip on his shoulder, and Nadal was out to prove he was the undisputed #1 over Fed by winning his first hard court slam after failing to grab the US Open, which Fed took instead.
Now that these guys are in the twilight of their careers, as a long time Federer fan, I can finally appreciate the genius of Nadal so much more. All said and done, he was/is a once a lifetime player like the fed himself. P.s. the pain of the match still doesn’t go away lol
This is the greatest grand slam final for me. As Rafa steps in for his 18th tonight, this was the one that established him as a formidable opponent on every court,
Nadal is the most complete player ever in outdoor surfaces. Nadal has won at least 2 Grand Slam (GS) titles on each surface (hard, grass and clay). Federer only has won 1 GS on clay. Therefore, Nadal has his GS titles more evenly distributed by surface than Federer. 2 GS on each surface>>> 1 GS on each surface. Federer is only more complete than Nadal on indoor surfaces. In order to be the most complete player ever, Federer needs to be more complete than Nadal both in outdoor and indoor surfaces (not only indoor ones). In other words, Federer needs to win at least 3 French Open titles to be more complete than Nadal. With 3 French Open, Federer would have at least 3 GS on each surface (hard, grass and clay), and would become more complete than Nadal both in outdoor and indoor surfaces. Right now, Nadal is the most complete player ever in outdoor surfaces with at least 2 GS titles on each surface.
63% of his Slams come on clay compared to 40% for Rogers "best" surface. I get the argument over Rogers lone French Open, but that's why Nadal is hands down the greatest player to ever lace them up on clay. The most complete player (based on every player and analyst that takes on the subject) is Federer. That's just how it is as of right now, at least. If you're going to argue distribution, Fed is still the most balanced across the surfaces, it's not really even debatable unless you just want to troll or argue.
Timothy Saunders see how the wheel just keeps spinning depending on how you want your narrative to sound? It's why this argument is just lacking. I enjoy them both, for their own reasons, and the analysts and legends of the game (including Nadal) all point to Federer as the greatest of all time (this very moment) , there's not much more for me to go on beyond that.
I'm without question a huge Federer fan, but I've never taken anything away from Nadal simply because of his dominance on clay. Personally I feel clay isn't the greatest representation of the complete tennis game, but thats only my opinion, and a Grand Slam is a Grand Slam, period. I feel Nadal's style of play is just best SUITED on clay, hence is insane dominance, but he has shown the resilience of a true champion by expanding his game enough to win on all surfaces. My reasoning behind Federer as the GOAT is simply behind his unfathomable all-around game. The guy has every shot in the book and his creativity on a tennis court is second to no one, though probably rivaled by some. On the same token that I never discount Nadals legacy because of # of Grand Slams coming on clay, I don't knock Roger's "lack of success" on clay when for nearly a decade he was probably the 2nd best clay-court player in the game and easily the best Grass/Hard Court player during that stretch. Again, these are only my opinions, but I feel there's plenty of professional support to stand behind them. I find myself hating just as you do any time I see people attacking Roger's greatness or discounting it to "weak era" tennis and it's just as infuriating to see people act like Nadal isn't a top 3 player of all-time just because the bulk of his successes have come on clay. It's just ignorance at it's finest and a lack of knowledge and respect for the game. I don't waste my time with such arguments typically and choose to just enjoy them and marvel at their continued golden moments for these last few years. Thank you for the objectivity though, it's always refreshing to see from others on threads like this.
Outstanding match, Striker vs Counter-Puncher. Roger reached ALL 4 GS finals that year and won two. What a legend, he's the best ever I seen. I will sorely miss him when he's gone.
nobody notices it but its the most important title in rafa s career in grand slam ... the one and only victory in australia 2009 and it was a miracle against verdasco 5 hours match in semis and against federer 4 hours 5 sets in final...
These types of matches gave birth to new Tennis enthusiasts and Tennis players. Kids, teens, adults probably got interested in tennis and picked it up after watching this match.
yeah. his childhood hero Rod Laver was presenting the trophies. He was gutted that he wasn't being given the winners' cup by his idol. But then Nadal's parents got divorced so he started struggling- only to come back and win three majors in 2010
Yeah, I changed my opinion by now. This is my favourite Fedal match. Absolutely incredible, incredible tennis. From both these guys. This is why I still believe they're both a step above Nole, even though I couldn't pick whom the greatest is between them.
Nole perhaps had the greatest short peak of all time, but in terms of consistensy I would put both Nadal and Federer above. Roger probably as much as I don't want to admit, has to be on top in that aspect.
Nole's 6 out of 8 slam run from Wimbledon 2014 through French Open 2016 were during a weak era. Federer from 2005 through 2007 (age 24-26) would have won all 8 i bet. The only real competition he faced were an aged 33-34 YO Federer who had really not found his new backhand rennasaince yet. Nadal was completely broke down physically during this time. Federer from 2005 through 2007 at least had to deal with a Nadal that was flying all around the clay courts...and was even pretty darn good on grass in 2007.
Arch Hades Nadal has also had it easy from 2007 - 2010. When Nole wasn’t there yet, Nadal’s only opposition was Federer, even on clay. Nadal gets easy wins versus Roger with that top spin forehand versus Roger’s backhand, which is weak when faced with a high bounce (lack of above hip power.) Dimitrov also said this in a post match discussion in Rome recently. Nadal plays with too much spin to consistently beat him with a one hander. Adding to that the fact he is left handed, which basically gives him crosscourt dominance against any rightie with a one handed backhand.
My favorite match of all time - this to me shows Nadal as the greatest to ever play the game and I love Federer. Nadal at his highest level was unbeatable.
Interesting Federer recently said @ Aussie Open 18' that this was their highest quality grandslam final; Wimbledon had the unreal drama and tension but this match was played at a consistently higher quality
Samridh Amla Rafa actually dropped the ball at AO 17 just like he dit at AO 12 being up a break in the 5 the while serving. Nadal should have 22 slams by now and that's with all the injuries smh.
Well I guess he's right. Federer didn't play very well in the first part of the Wimbledon match. Had there not been a rain delay Nadal would have won that Wimbledon match in straight sets.
By this age, (22), Nadal had; 4 French opens, 1 Wimbledon and TWO RUNNERS UPS AT WIMBLEDON (TO 2006 & 2007 FEDERER) AND now, 1 AUSTRALIAN OPEN. 6 Grand slams 2 Wimbledon runner ups World number 1 ending Roger Federer’s 4 year reign at number 1, the longest consecutive run at the very top ever.
Yeah we didn’t realize just how strong young Nadals forehand was I think.... and how fast he was ... he had already won all 4 by 24 but really besides the US OPEN and this , he had made Wimbledon finals by like, 20..... And 21 and 22
@@worawatsr9803 can’t deny Rafa was in his prime in 2011-2012 too and he could not touch nole in hardcourts, he was on that gluten free boost still haha, Nole made AO his** kingdom.
I remember watching this live and thinking to myself, it's like a video game, every other point was ridiculous. No wonder Roger cried after, those 4 sets were just sublime, best level of tennis I ever watched.
God Fedal matches easily have the most compelling and interesting point exchanges of all time, just look at how much court they cover in 23:50, I don’t know if we’ll ever see a rivalry of higher quality.
Federer realized in this match that Nadal is just the more talented and better player. It's why he's stuck around all these years, because he knew Nadal catching him was only a matter of time. If not for Djoker, Nadal would have 30 slams by now.
@Ravi Kumar Federer believes Nadal is better. This match showed it. Federer does not have the belief against a 100% Nadal or Djokovic. I'm believing Federer over you or your foot.
Australian open= Medium fast French open= Slow speed Wimbledon= medium fast US Open= medium speed Surfaces is like that it will be great to watch tennis actually. Nadal is clay and hard court player since 2011 actually. He got success more in clay and hard court surface then Grass for sure.
@@petermaclauren2788 but federer never beat nadal at rg ..n nadal beat him on grass n beat novak at us open to win gs n beat federer .n nadal also have golden slam so nadal goat
@@petermaclauren2788 BUT HE BEAT THEM AT BOTH BUT DJOKO N FEDERE NEVER BEAT NADAL AT FINAL RG ..CLAY IS THE MOST HARDEST SURFACE TO WIN SLAM SO HE GOAT N HE ALSO BEAT ROGER AT GRASS N HARD AS WELL..
No matter what you say the goat debate and all we have to admire that Rafa produces the best tennis and brings out the best be it Wimbledon Ao Us or Fo the best matches of tennis history will always involve nadal .. Rafa vs fed or Rafa vs novak
Compare this to 2017 Fed, you will clearly be able to see how his backhand made the difference. It's like his backhands have no venom at all. The way he is still going on at 38 never ceases to amaze me.
This match was so ridiculously good, that you can skip to any point in the first four sets, and it will impress you. Most underrated tennis match of all time, and in my opinion the best.
@@Podzzy he has this ability to hit those no look sliced retrieving shots with his back to the opponent. Nadal would have been great Squash player as well with his sliding and slicing.
Alex Tomlinson Nah, I waited until the clay court season only to find that the gutless chicken ran away until Halle in fear of the role being reverted back to normal. Floperer is the biggest fraud in tennis history!
When Rafa lost 3 GS straight finals(7+ Matches) to Novak he didn't cried. He came back stronger worked on his techniques and beat Novak. He's a champion. The same with Novak. Before 2011, he lost so many matches against Rafa and Roger. He worked harder, even harder and finally won against them. A True Champion.
Australian open 2009 finals Australian open 2012 finals Australian open 2017 finals Australian open 2022 Finals Australian open 2014 finals are greatest finals played by Nadal Nadal is truly one of the best hard court player in the world for sure
I know this was not as long as the 2012 AO final or the 2019 Wimbledon final. Nor did it have so many dramatic interruptions like the 2008 Wimbledon Final. But the unnatural shotmaking in this match was like 👌👌👌 Even the SF between Verdasco and Nadal had some unreal rallies. Dunno how Nadal could perform with the same intensity in both these matches.
Roger Federer himself said that this was the best match quality wise that the two of them ever played. Rafa was forced to play this way as he was too tired to play his usual counterpunching patient style after his 5 hour 14 minute epic semifinal against Verdasco. Ultimately Rafa was too good for Roger as he was for much of their grand slam matchups.
As much as Roger still went on to win 7 more slams after this match, you could argue he was really knocked off his perch from this point and was always going into the next match against Nadal as the underdog, and then subsequently Djokovic. But I have to say that makes all those victories, despite rare, awesome and beautiful to experience. That is why he is the GOAT.
Its amazing that Federer took 10 years to defeat Rafa in a grand slam match after 2007. He lost the following grand slam matches to Rafa during this period -Wimby- 2008 Aus- 2009, 2012, 2014 FO- 2008 , 2011. He also lost 6 straight grand slam matches to Novak since 2012.
Remember this match like they played yesterday.. Commentators were moronic af .. always kept bringing up Nadal's semifinal clash and doubted if he would last.. even in the 5th set they kept doubting his condition. This is definitely the match with the highest consistency of stellar shotmaking I've ever seen personally. You can see Roger gave it his all but just lacked that mental toughness that Nadal showed. The Big 3 are definitely all GOATs and it is crazy that they are essentially three different types of players. Federer is the Magician Nadal is the Beast Djoko is the Machine Blessed to see the three of them play. The nextgens just keep on piling up without anything to show for themselves.. Three guys have gone toe to toe with these goats. Stan,Andy and Delpo.. but injuries and inconsistencies played a big part in their lack of sustained pressure on these three.. That hunger , resilience and mental toughness is what keeps separating these three from the rest .
Both good comments here. I feel that each of the big three made the other two that much better. They had to, in order to stay on top of the game, and they each know each others' games so well. It's almost as though none of them can be judged without some sort of comparison to the other two. It really is now one of the best time periods in professional men's tennis.
Lo que estos tipos jugaban, en el pináculo de sus carreras, es algo nunca visto. Ahora que se discute quien es el mejor en la historia del tenis, he aquí, para mí, los dos más grandes. No tengo yo ninguna duda. Una mención en especial para Nadal. Que despliegue, que poder físico, que tenacidad. No he visto, ni en el pasado, ni en el presente, cosa semejante.
The best match from Rafa in that A0 was easily against Verdasco. He played ultra god mode. In this match no one could actually stop Federer, he was in god mode until he run out of energy in last stages of the final set
@@Luchon20082010 I agree.And I thought the semi final match against Dimitrov AO 2017 was the match of the tournament.five hour match which drained Nadal for the final.
Ashok Kumar Djokovic barely even won his only match against Nadal in the Australian Open in 2012 when Nadal was a break up in the fifth, and Nadal was playing at a lower level than here, what makes you think Djokovic would have won here? Nadal is tied with Djokovic on hard courts grand slams 2-2 and actually leads at the US Open 2-1, your comment has no basis at all.
I think rafa is considered better than Federer even though Federer has won more slam I just think the level of opposition hes faced in finals and overall is far better than what Roger has faced
24:01 point in the final and the banana shot against Verdasco in the semifinal was the greatest and unforgettable points ever won by Nadal in his career.
Those two are not rackets.. They are rocket launchers... The ball is the real rocket.. Every shot is a winner from the players... I am very happy to see this level of tennis.. Thank you for that...
This match revealed to me that Roger Federer is a *FIGHTER!* He showed glimpses of it in '08 WIMBLEDON but he really cemented himself here even in a loss. Rafa will always be my favorite player.
@@dualShockRK98 I'm from Germany and even I don't see how Zverev should win even one set against Nadal/Federer when they are playing on this level. In fact they beat him both even today, when they getting their game together.
This match is the greatest in terms of pure shotmaking. 2012 final was the greatest in terms of physicality and grit. 2017 final was the most historically significant and most dramatic. AusOpen has had some terrific classics
Sollvi H It may not have bothered him here though. He did get injured at the end of 2008 and then in Dubai in 2009. He went on a roll after that though.
And Nadal played this FINAL on the heels of *THE GREATEST SEMI-FINAL* I have ever seen btwn him and Verdasco and he STILL beat Federer. Guy is a *MACHINE!* (ALTHOUGH Imo, i think that semifinal match derailed Nadal's career in terms of his knees. I felt his body gave out after that torture even tho he had more in the tank here!)
The only way I can see Federer keeping Grand slam record is if he plays 2-3 more years and wins Wimbledon and Australian open each year to get to like 25 or so. And even then Djokovic and Nadal will likely pass him unless they retire or get injured
La calidad de tenis de este partido es enorme. Nadal y Federer estaban en su mejor momento. Para mí es el mejor partido de ambos, incluso mejor que la final de Wimbledon de 2008
23:48 it doesn't get any better than that.
Funny how Federer did pretty much the same winner in 2017 in the 5th set.
I honestly do think that could be the best point ever
@@christoph9081 USO 2011 djokovic vs nadal as well.Or AO 2012.
@@jeanmur1483 Not as good
Eric Grimm It’s definitely one of the best points I’ve ever seen, absolutely ridiculous.
Looking back; these men produced levels of tennis in this match that are positively soul stirring. Fedfan or Rafaholic... just be glad you have seen them play.
Djokovic also belongs there remember the match against Rafa in Doha tennis that was just perfect
im just going to be so sad when they retire. i really hope federer has two more years in him, and years where he still can win a grand slam.well i still wish i could get to an actual french open at roland garos to see nadal win, but im running out of time and im housebound.i am the biggest nadal fan and followed him since he was 16 years old. i love federer too, but i couldnt start supporting federer until nadal got his 15th grand slam taking him past sampras, and then i was just happy for nadal to get the french and federer could have everythihg else. i dont like djokovic.not personally-he's a great guy. just his style of play doesnt excite me.. now that nadal is two behind federer though, priorities have changed, want nadal to catch up and tie him on 20.i would be happy for both of them to finish on 20 but for the djokovic threat and since nadal is the much more likely of the two to get more slams, federer being 37, i would then have to support nadal to go past 20 grand slams to make sure djokovic doesnt end up as having the most slams
@@shaunhumphreys6714 Yeah, I feel the same way, but Djokovic is just too good right now.
@@simon709 How? Nadal just won FO again.
@@HyperOpticalSaint Wow, that's one tournament out of 4. It's impossible for djoko to catch rafa.
This match is sooo underrated in their rivalry and in the tennis pro in general. What a terrific match it was!!
this match is imo, the greatest match of tennis ever played in terms of quality, very few unforced errors from both guys ( if you can call them unforced) and the shot making and defense in this match is just absurd. Every rally was breathtaking and the level was just exceptional, i've watched more than 1000 tennis matches in my life in this is still my favorite in terms of quality
@@mohamaddabboussi1406 a better match was played than this a day before between rafa and verdasco
This match is one of the best I've ever watched on any surface, even after realizing I already saw it at least twice before.
I think it’s the second greatest match of all tome behind AO 2012
It really was the start of the biggest crack in the Federer myth and proved that Nadal's highest level was better than Federer's on all surfaces. It's pretty clear nowadays that Federer is the third best of his own era.
I still honestly think this is the best first 4 sets of a match these 2 have ever played (vs each other). The shot making and angles were absolutely insane!
I agree. Their third Wimby final is somewhat overrated. This was the one. Except for the fifth set Feds flushed down the toilet.
Back during this time, ONLY Nadal would cause Fed to move up and down, and left to right on the court. Federer looked very, very relaxed playing against everyone else.
When Nadal came along Federer really upped his fitness and strength after a little while. He had to adopt or be happy being number 2
Double-bageled Delpo in QF
Because Nadal was and is a better player.
Also you're wrong because Djokovic did it back then as well, as well as Murray at non-slams.
He looked relaxed because he was playing against bums before Nadal showed up🤣
Honestly the 2009 Australian Open for Nadal was one of his best performances in his entire career, 5+ hour match victory against Verdasco in the SF then another really long classic match in the final against his rival Roger to win the title, after being so tired probably from the SF to turn around in the final and give it all you got despite the fatigue and defeat Federer for the title is amazing
this match produced the greatest shots in the history of the sport. Tennis will never get better than this
I prefer the Djokovic federer French Open 2011! Roger was so agressive!
and then we had Fed/Nadal in 2017, and of course the Wawrinka/Djoker final in the French.
Yoni Yampolsky Nadal v Djokovic 2012 AO is good too. Nadal v Federer 2008 Wimbledon too. Djokovic v Wawrinka 2014 AO was amazing as well.
Yeah. This one might be my favorite. I STILL don't understand how Nadal won that first set. Fed was taking it TO that man; just dominating control of points. But the defensive shots Nadal was coming up with were...extraterrestrial.
@@synhet84 Nole is a great player and may have better peak level than these two but he's quite boring to watch..I cant even watch Rafa and nole match because of boring robotic style of Nole.
I can see why federer was in tears afterwards because i think this game was the best of federer at the time and the irritation of losing still at the end mustve been frustrating. As a federer fan , i remember i always felt that federer cannot beat prime nadal, nadal coverance of the ball was insane during the time.
It was his backhand against Nadal that he struggled with. He improved with the new racquet. I wonder if it would have changed his career had he started with a bigger head size. Most guys play with close to 100sqinch and fed was 90sqinch
Nadals speed and defense in his prime may never be seen again. It was an art form only Rafa could attain.
It's heartbreaking how simple it was for Nadal to play Federer : keep pummeling the backhand. Federer was a little slow to change to a modern racquet. Post that change + hugging the baseline, Nadal hasn't really been able to bother Roger too much on his BH side. This match could've been a very different story with the new racquet.
Here Federer is pretty much stripped of hitting cross court backhands to any advantage.
@@shrirajmukherjee have you ever thought that Nadal was fast as lightning back then? It wasn’t all about hitting to Federer’s backhand. Nadal back then was best returner in the game, as well as having the best net game of all singles players. In addition Nadal being able to hit winners from any defensive position, is the real reason he routinely beat Federer. Federer did not beat Rafa at a GS for almost a 8 years until AO 2017.
@@scottandigan6276
Don't forget Fed was no slouch either back then. Nothing bothered Fed as much as Nadal's lefty cross court forehand - which is not the same as saying Nadal had no other strengths. Of course Nadal was brilliant at many things, but none of them hurt Fed even remotely as much as the Nadal FH to his own single handed BH.
It really was all about hitting to Fed's BH, both while serving and during rallies. Fed wasn't very fast at AO 17 either, much slower than Nadal in raw speed. The difference simple was amping up his BH and better court positioning.
We talked a lot about Thiem and the fact he's had only a day before the final. One must not forget the gruesome semifinal Nadal had to go through against Verdasco, only to play an other 5setter vs Federer. Besides, the conditions in Australia are brutal. Nothing like in Paris 10 days ago
Same with Djokovic in 2012, beat Murray and Nadal in five. The difference is Thiem played four days in a row.
Nadal's backhand was underrated during his prime. Did you see those bachand shots in this match?
tmat04 It was certainly better than Federer's.
MrPatrickbuit Nadals backhand was always there , besides 2011 in that year it was crap
Ert so he always had a BH but it was magically crap in 2011? Lol.
Rafael Mertin i think nadal was overrated in 2011 in General
of course you do hehe
Wtf .. this was dam near the best tennis match ever . Skilllevel off the charts
Checkout 2008 Wimbledon.
2005 Australian open Federer vs Safin and 2012 Australian Nadal vs Djokovic
No sport requires skill, technique, perseverance, tenacity and talent as much as tennis!!! I'm convinced
Edit: No sport, especially ball sports, demands all the aforementioned abilities and mental stability like tennis. That's demanded from the get-go to the very end. All other sports, you're a warrior for a specified time. But in tennis, you're a warrior until there's one winner who met the requirements.
Nanonkay 300 swimming
No sport requires the mental fortitude and level of concentration tennis does, that's for sure.
Nanokay..couldn't agree more.
Nanonkay 300 and a huge stable mental strength
Except for boxing.
This was the best match between them by far. The defensive skills of Nadal were unbelievable. Rafa have eaten the right breakfast at this day, haha.
Tennis19999 yeah. I've always been confused when people say the 2008 Wimbledon final was overall a higher quality match. It was a closer, nail-biting, intense, epic, high quality match, but the 09 AO final had some of the best rallies and most high quality tennis I've seen. Nadal certainly played at such a high level in this match. I'd say even better than the 08 Wimbledon final. This match is a big part to tennis history, including the unforgettable ceremony after. I was heartbroken as a Fed fan, but that made the rest of 09 so much sweeter. It was a defining moment in men's tennis history, just as much as the 08 Wimbledon match imo.
@@justusrivard615 Wimbledon 2007 is also an underrated match.
I would agree. That match really shows Feds heart and determination in the 5ty set and whole match. Nadal gave everything that year just as he did in 08. Gotta credit Nadal for gutting out the win in 08 after the 07 loss
I think there is a better match, the final they played in Rome in 2006.
@@MrBolaextra Meh,2007 fed clay/2011>>>>2006 clay fed and almost every nadal that won rg(if not every) >>>> 2006 nadal.
Federer never played better, and yet Nadal beat him at his best. Federer's face at the handshake tells it all.
Federer had a great baseline game here but his serve was missing.
He didn't turn up in the fifth set
Federer's court positioning was off few times here and his infamous, atrocious conversion rate. Losing games after having 3,4 even 5 break points sometimes.
He played better in 2017 😉
It was a disgrace to the sport that a moaning ass scratcher won the title.
Nadal produced unreal shots in clutch moments. I think both of them were a lot better than in 2017's final. That third set here, incredible rallies.
Rafa's highest level is higher than Fed's. Plain and simple.
@@danielkriz7533 no federer goat level at his prime rafa said that
@@danielkriz7533 lmao Federer highest dismantled Nadal best: 6-2, 6-3 in this match. And in the fifth roger ran out of energy
@@slytlion Fed was taken to 5 sets by a paralyzed Agassi and was defeated by baby Nadal on his best surface. There's a reason Fed tanked to avoid Nadal in 2013 USO.
@@Luchon20082010 Nadal let Fed win in 2017
This is the best match on hard court in the history of tennis PERIOD.
I counted at least 40 shots that could easily make the highlights in any top ten list.
Prime Crypto Agreed. From both players such an incredible feat.
Great match...Rafa vs Djokovic 2012 Aussie Final is the best hard court...and the best MATCH of all time.
@Joe Publico I agree...by far the best.
hahano 2001 us open sampras vs agassi is the greatest match ever, no breaks.
@@animanga9597 nope just no break serve both choke n depend on serve
One of my top 5 favorite matches of all time. Between this and Nadal vs Verdasco this tourney was a mindfuck
2009 is very unique tennis special year
Only time Nadal won Australian
Only time Federer won Roland Garros
Only time Nadal was defeated in Roland Garros
Only time Roddick was close to win Wimbledon and only time was close to beat Federer in GS
Only time Juan Martin Delpotro won GS in US
Wow! I had not thought of that. Very good information indeed.
@Brawl Box LOL the focus is the year 2009 not when Nadal lost in RG you FOOL
Always remembered this year as a crazy year, also Soderling's best year I think?
@Brawl Box 🤡
I think the guy meant to says first time Nadal was beaten at RG
Is it just me or matches from this time are just like, many times better than the best matches of nowadays? Th intensity, shot making and tenacity of these two is just unbelievable, not something you could find right now. Wish these two could’ve stayed at this level forever, but now sadly federer can’t run like this to conserve his energy and Nadal doesn’t hit the ball nowhere near as hard, truly a shame these men had to age.
You're looking through fanboy lenses. The game is objectively a higher level now. Watch any Djokodal slam match and you will find a higher level, just with less fancy one-hand backhands into the net.
Youre watching highlights of a particulary great match between 2 of the big 3, its hardly a resume how tennis overall was played compared to now
This and 08 Wimbledon are the greatest matches of all time bar none
I'm a huge Rafa fan, but the AO 2012 is right up there too. Wimby 08 is the pinnacle of tennis in my opinion, no match will ever compare, the sport will have to change too much for the subjectivity to change.
+Valden 7 Dude Wimby 08 became great because of the way Federer forced the fifth. Honestly in 2008 Nadal was a beast and Federer was nowhere near his 2006-07 level. Indirectly that year Rafa had the game to beat Roger in straights that year in Wimby and it should have happened if there weren't so many interruptions. 70 percent of the time in that match Rafa kept spinning to the RF backhand and ultimately RF errored.
In terms of quality AO 2009, 2012 and 2017 are all higher. In terms of drams 08 was definitely higher.
The same excuse always comes when Wimby 08 is discussed. Federer didn't look his best because Nadal was so good and didn't allow him to play his best, it was simply remarkable how Roger fought off 2 tie breakers to force a 5th set, Rafa's nerves and Roger laser focus helped him, however the result was inevitable and Rafa dethroned Roger on his own turf during his prime years. Roger will never lay claim of doing the same at RG.
Aus open 2017.
Djokovic vs Nadal 2012 AO final was the greatest and longest
Came from the future to say that Nadal have won his 2nd Australian Open title
Those first four sets hold the highest level of tennis ever seen on a tennis court.
This was the perfect intersection of their careers where they actually both had something to prove, and you can see it in the hustle on EVERY point. Fed was finally dethroned as #1 after getting beat on his home turf at Wimbledon 6 months earlier so he obviously had a chip on his shoulder, and Nadal was out to prove he was the undisputed #1 over Fed by winning his first hard court slam after failing to grab the US Open, which Fed took instead.
The man for all surfaces 😍
Now that these guys are in the twilight of their careers, as a long time Federer fan, I can finally appreciate the genius of Nadal so much more. All said and done, he was/is a once a lifetime player like the fed himself.
P.s. the pain of the match still doesn’t go away lol
Quite possibly the best match I have ever seen. When these two were trading them at their best, every fifteen was a breathtaking thriller.
This is the greatest grand slam final for me. As Rafa steps in for his 18th tonight, this was the one that established him as a formidable opponent on every court,
One of the best matches ever undoubtedly
''Rafael Nadal a man for all surfaces''..nuff said!
Nadal is the most complete player ever in outdoor surfaces. Nadal has won at least 2 Grand Slam (GS) titles on each surface (hard, grass and clay). Federer only has won 1 GS on clay. Therefore, Nadal has his GS titles more evenly distributed by surface than Federer. 2 GS on each surface>>> 1 GS on each surface.
Federer is only more complete than Nadal on indoor surfaces. In order to be the most complete player ever, Federer needs to be more complete than Nadal both in outdoor and indoor surfaces (not only indoor ones). In other words, Federer needs to win at least 3 French Open titles to be more complete than Nadal. With 3 French Open, Federer would have at least 3 GS on each surface (hard, grass and clay), and would become more complete than Nadal both in outdoor and indoor surfaces. Right now, Nadal is the most complete player ever in outdoor surfaces with at least 2 GS titles on each surface.
63% of his Slams come on clay compared to 40% for Rogers "best" surface. I get the argument over Rogers lone French Open, but that's why Nadal is hands down the greatest player to ever lace them up on clay. The most complete player (based on every player and analyst that takes on the subject) is Federer. That's just how it is as of right now, at least. If you're going to argue distribution, Fed is still the most balanced across the surfaces, it's not really even debatable unless you just want to troll or argue.
Timothy Saunders see how the wheel just keeps spinning depending on how you want your narrative to sound? It's why this argument is just lacking. I enjoy them both, for their own reasons, and the analysts and legends of the game (including Nadal) all point to Federer as the greatest of all time (this very moment) , there's not much more for me to go on beyond that.
I'm without question a huge Federer fan, but I've never taken anything away from Nadal simply because of his dominance on clay. Personally I feel clay isn't the greatest representation of the complete tennis game, but thats only my opinion, and a Grand Slam is a Grand Slam, period. I feel Nadal's style of play is just best SUITED on clay, hence is insane dominance, but he has shown the resilience of a true champion by expanding his game enough to win on all surfaces. My reasoning behind Federer as the GOAT is simply behind his unfathomable all-around game. The guy has every shot in the book and his creativity on a tennis court is second to no one, though probably rivaled by some. On the same token that I never discount Nadals legacy because of # of Grand Slams coming on clay, I don't knock Roger's "lack of success" on clay when for nearly a decade he was probably the 2nd best clay-court player in the game and easily the best Grass/Hard Court player during that stretch.
Again, these are only my opinions, but I feel there's plenty of professional support to stand behind them. I find myself hating just as you do any time I see people attacking Roger's greatness or discounting it to "weak era" tennis and it's just as infuriating to see people act like Nadal isn't a top 3 player of all-time just because the bulk of his successes have come on clay. It's just ignorance at it's finest and a lack of knowledge and respect for the game. I don't waste my time with such arguments typically and choose to just enjoy them and marvel at their continued golden moments for these last few years. Thank you for the objectivity though, it's always refreshing to see from others on threads like this.
Μorellos XP the man of all surfaces won 1 slam outside french in 6 yrs between 2011-16 despite having age on his side(24-30). LMAO.
Outstanding match, Striker vs Counter-Puncher. Roger reached ALL 4 GS finals that year and won two. What a legend, he's the best ever I seen. I will sorely miss him when he's gone.
Striker vs Tactician.
nobody notices it but its the most important title in rafa s career in grand slam ... the one and only victory in australia 2009 and it was a miracle against verdasco 5 hours match in semis and against federer 4 hours 5 sets in final...
Australia is very dry and I don't think that suits his game
Actually Nadal was a little lucky this year, Federer's had dipped in form and his movement was affected by mono and back pain.
These types of matches gave birth to new Tennis enthusiasts and Tennis players. Kids, teens, adults probably got interested in tennis and picked it up after watching this match.
how fast rafa was at his prime. He's still no1 at 33 years. Speaks about himself
And 10 years later he gets the US Open. A rare gem.
23:47 greatest point I think I've ever seen!
federer put everything in this game and still lost. Must have been very heat breaking.
Yes it was. The trophy presentation was evidence of it
He went away mentally in the last set.
BUT THEN HE DOMINATED THIS YEAR AFTER THIS LIKE WOWWWWWWW
yeah. his childhood hero Rod Laver was presenting the trophies. He was gutted that he wasn't being given the winners' cup by his idol. But then Nadal's parents got divorced so he started struggling- only to come back and win three majors in 2010
This is probably the best Fedal match.
To me a better match than Wimbledon 2008. That one was more dramatic, but not higher quality for sure.
Yeah, I changed my opinion by now. This is my favourite Fedal match. Absolutely incredible, incredible tennis. From both these guys. This is why I still believe they're both a step above Nole, even though I couldn't pick whom the greatest is between them.
Nole perhaps had the greatest short peak of all time, but in terms of consistensy I would put both Nadal and Federer above. Roger probably as much as I don't want to admit, has to be on top in that aspect.
Nole's 6 out of 8 slam run from Wimbledon 2014 through French Open 2016 were during a weak era. Federer from 2005 through 2007 (age 24-26) would have won all 8 i bet.
The only real competition he faced were an aged 33-34 YO Federer who had really not found his new backhand rennasaince yet. Nadal was completely broke down physically during this time. Federer from 2005 through 2007 at least had to deal with a Nadal that was flying all around the clay courts...and was even pretty darn good on grass in 2007.
Arch Hades Nadal has also had it easy from 2007 - 2010. When Nole wasn’t there yet, Nadal’s only opposition was Federer, even on clay. Nadal gets easy wins versus Roger with that top spin forehand versus Roger’s backhand, which is weak when faced with a high bounce (lack of above hip power.) Dimitrov also said this in a post match discussion in Rome recently. Nadal plays with too much spin to consistently beat him with a one hander. Adding to that the fact he is left handed, which basically gives him crosscourt dominance against any rightie with a one handed backhand.
My favorite match of all time - this to me shows Nadal as the greatest to ever play the game and I love Federer. Nadal at his highest level was unbeatable.
Quality wise this was the best match they ever had.
Chirag Sharma Safin Federer AO 2005
I think .. this Rafa is the best of all ... even better than 2010 OR 2013 ..... was a Beast ...PRIME NADAL
Nadal was so damn fast during that tournament he was at his career Peak in term of athleticism,
Interesting Federer recently said @ Aussie Open 18' that this was their highest quality grandslam final; Wimbledon had the unreal drama and tension but this match was played at a consistently higher quality
*08' Wimbledon OBVS
Probably why he cried after the match as well, he realized that his best level was not enough.
@@gherbihicham8506 his new racquet probably gave new dimension to his best at '17 aussie final
Samridh Amla Rafa actually dropped the ball at AO 17 just like he dit at AO 12 being up a break in the 5 the while serving. Nadal should have 22 slams by now and that's with all the injuries smh.
Well I guess he's right. Federer didn't play very well in the first part of the Wimbledon match. Had there not been a rain delay Nadal would have won that Wimbledon match in straight sets.
By this age, (22), Nadal had; 4 French opens, 1 Wimbledon and TWO RUNNERS UPS AT WIMBLEDON (TO 2006 & 2007 FEDERER) AND now, 1 AUSTRALIAN OPEN.
6 Grand slams
2 Wimbledon runner ups
World number 1 ending Roger Federer’s 4 year reign at number 1, the longest consecutive run at the very top ever.
After nine years (sheesh the years are going fast), it is still one of my favorite Grand Slam matches to watch between these two Good video, bud!
And they're still going strong..............just amazing.
It's RAFA's only AO champion, I can't imagine that the opponent is Roger at peak period...
The way he covered the court... Unbelievable,
Yeah we didn’t realize just how strong young Nadals forehand was I think.... and how fast he was ... he had already won all 4 by 24 but really besides the US OPEN and this , he had made Wimbledon finals by like, 20.....
And 21 and 22
Once Djokovic dominates, nobody else has a chance here.
@@worawatsr9803 can’t deny Rafa was in his prime in 2011-2012 too and he could not touch nole in hardcourts, he was on that gluten free boost still haha, Nole made AO his** kingdom.
@@worawatsr9803 except the djokovic kryptonite, Wawrinka of course
nice to see this one of the best match in tennis between world's two top rank players, nadal amazing
thank you nadal and federer i love tennis
I remember watching this live and thinking to myself, it's like a video game, every other point was ridiculous. No wonder Roger cried after, those 4 sets were just sublime, best level of tennis I ever watched.
Indeed.
God Fedal matches easily have the most compelling and interesting point exchanges of all time, just look at how much court they cover in 23:50, I don’t know if we’ll ever see a rivalry of higher quality.
Nadal was untreatable on that day. I can't imagine Roger's frustration. He played pretty well but Rafa was just impenetrable.
Federer realized in this match that Nadal is just the more talented and better player. It's why he's stuck around all these years, because he knew Nadal catching him was only a matter of time. If not for Djoker, Nadal would have 30 slams by now.
@Ravi Kumar Federer believes Nadal is better. This match showed it. Federer does not have the belief against a 100% Nadal or Djokovic. I'm believing Federer over you or your foot.
Australian open= Medium fast
French open= Slow speed
Wimbledon= medium fast
US Open= medium speed
Surfaces is like that it will be great to watch tennis actually.
Nadal is clay and hard court player since 2011 actually.
He got success more in clay and hard court surface then Grass for sure.
Nadal was clay and grass court player in 2006 and 2007.
In 2008 to 2011
Nadal was complete player actually
There is no such thing as unbeatable.
The best Fedal match of all time
Nah it is Wim 2008, this is the second best
This final gets slept on compared to WImby 08 and AO 12. This really was one of the great slam finals. Underrated match imo.
Prime Rafa is the most dominant player ever live... 19 years old, First Roland-Garros vs the world number 1 (Fed) and win. Honnestly it's incredible
GOAT on clay, but not on any other surface.
@@petermaclauren2788 not because he won open Australie
@@MaestroSangurasu Only won Australia once. Fed and Djok won it 6-7 times
@@petermaclauren2788 but federer never beat nadal at rg ..n nadal beat him on grass n beat novak at us open to win gs n beat federer .n nadal also have golden slam so nadal goat
@@petermaclauren2788 BUT HE BEAT THEM AT BOTH BUT DJOKO N FEDERE NEVER BEAT NADAL AT FINAL RG ..CLAY IS THE MOST HARDEST SURFACE TO WIN SLAM SO HE GOAT N HE ALSO BEAT ROGER AT GRASS N HARD AS WELL..
We should be proud that we have witnessed the greatest rivalry of all time. Doesn't matter who won or who lost.
complete insane match, the energy they put in it!
No matter what you say the goat debate and all we have to admire that Rafa produces the best tennis and brings out the best be it Wimbledon Ao Us or Fo the best matches of tennis history will always involve nadal .. Rafa vs fed or Rafa vs novak
Djokovic vs Federer also has produced all time matches
Yeah and I think alcaraz has been creating that same energy with his opponents.
@@AstroSully
Because roger choked match ball so its spectacular
But they dont have the same intensity than nadal match
Weird because nadal literally said “ if you think I am better than Roger you don’t know tennis. “ but yes nadal is the “goooo oat “
Compare this to 2017 Fed, you will clearly be able to see how his backhand made the difference. It's like his backhands have no venom at all. The way he is still going on at 38 never ceases to amaze me.
This match was so ridiculously good, that you can skip to any point in the first four sets, and it will impress you. Most underrated tennis match of all time, and in my opinion the best.
I remember during those years Federer would hardly move from left to right on the court when he played anyone else.
7:17-7:37 is the most video game like point I've ever seen even to this day. Unreal shot making!
24:01 only nadal can do this absolute gem
Federer has almost replicated the same shot at the end of the best rally of AO2017.
@@Podzzy he has this ability to hit those no look sliced retrieving shots with his back to the opponent. Nadal would have been great Squash player as well with his sliding and slicing.
@dwade Fed did stuff like that in his younger days.
Probably this is the only match with both of them in their best level. Simply amazing
This match always felt a little too painful to relive as a Federer fan, but after the 2017 final I finally feel able to enjoy it! :)
23-14
so what Serena?
MCFoultier
Just reminding Floperer's disgusting fans that his skinny ass has been repeatedly owned by Rafa.
serena the role is reversed now my friend or weren't you watching in Australia, indian wells, and Miami?
Alex Tomlinson
Nah, I waited until the clay court season only to find that the gutless chicken ran away until Halle in fear of the role being reverted back to normal.
Floperer is the biggest fraud in tennis history!
Nadal champion of Australian Open 2009 And now 2022, 13 years.
Yes and he didn't deserve neither of them.
This match is of such high quality with amazing shot-makings. It's like these guys are playing table tennis, the way they're hitting the ball.
Who is back here after Rafa win his second AO in 2022
Good effort by Federer against the Goat… 👏
When Rafa lost 3 GS straight finals(7+ Matches) to Novak he didn't cried. He came back stronger worked on his techniques and beat Novak. He's a champion. The same with Novak. Before 2011, he lost so many matches against Rafa and Roger. He worked harder, even harder and finally won against them. A True Champion.
Krishna yeah Federer never recovered from this loss, he’s not a champ....lol
@Badis He didnt recover.Nadal had no knees for the rest of the year and roddick had the biggest choke in tennis history.
@@aleksamilosevic8792 YES RODDICK THE BIGGEST BOTTLER BUT HE GREAT PERSON
Australian open 2009 finals
Australian open 2012 finals
Australian open 2017 finals
Australian open 2022 Finals
Australian open 2014 finals are greatest finals played by Nadal
Nadal is truly one of the best hard court player in the world for sure
I know this was not as long as the 2012 AO final or the 2019 Wimbledon final. Nor did it have so many dramatic interruptions like the 2008 Wimbledon Final. But the unnatural shotmaking in this match was like 👌👌👌 Even the SF between Verdasco and Nadal had some unreal rallies. Dunno how Nadal could perform with the same intensity in both these matches.
This quality tennis will never come
23:47 - 24:10 : Best point of the match.
no you are wrong. it is the greatest point of all time.I still don't understand how on earth nadal managed to return the slice from roger.
Yeh I agree probably best point ever, not sure what that makes him wrong though...
The nex gen would not be able to snatch even a set from prime nadal or fed.
Or prime djokovic.
Or against prime Novak.
Prime Djocovic is a beast...
Only 22 years old and already the best player in the world on the occasion,Rafael Nadal...
Roger Federer himself said that this was the best match quality wise that the two of them ever played. Rafa was forced to play this way as he was too tired to play his usual counterpunching patient style after his 5 hour 14 minute epic semifinal against Verdasco. Ultimately Rafa was too good for Roger as he was for much of their grand slam matchups.
As much as Roger still went on to win 7 more slams after this match, you could argue he was really knocked off his perch from this point and was always going into the next match against Nadal as the underdog, and then subsequently Djokovic. But I have to say that makes all those victories, despite rare, awesome and beautiful to experience. That is why he is the GOAT.
Rafa's movements in 2009 and 2019 are clearly different.
Panyakorn Taweechat This Rafa would sweep all current Grandslams.
@@TUTUMAH no he wouldn’t at least not at Wimbledon or AO where both prime Djokovic and Federer would most likely win.
Its amazing that Federer took 10 years to defeat Rafa in a grand slam match after 2007. He lost the following grand slam matches to Rafa during this period -Wimby- 2008 Aus- 2009, 2012, 2014 FO- 2008 , 2011. He also lost 6 straight grand slam matches to Novak since 2012.
Wimbledon 2008 finals Nadal beated him in fair manner 😡😡
I just witness the highest quality of tennis. Holy shit!!
What amazes me is that nadal could not win another australian open after 2009 although he had reached 4 finals after that
Nadal is injured in 2014 Australian open finals
Djokovic punished Nadal in Australian open 2019 finals in straight sets.
Remember this match like they played yesterday.. Commentators were moronic af .. always kept bringing up Nadal's semifinal clash and doubted if he would last.. even in the 5th set they kept doubting his condition. This is definitely the match with the highest consistency of stellar shotmaking I've ever seen personally. You can see Roger gave it his all but just lacked that mental toughness that Nadal showed. The Big 3 are definitely all GOATs and it is crazy that they are essentially three different types of players.
Federer is the Magician
Nadal is the Beast
Djoko is the Machine
Blessed to see the three of them play.
The nextgens just keep on piling up without anything to show for themselves.. Three guys have gone toe to toe with these goats. Stan,Andy and Delpo.. but injuries and inconsistencies played a big part in their lack of sustained pressure on these three..
That hunger , resilience and mental toughness is what keeps separating these three from the rest .
It's funny because Federer is the one that seemed to run out of gas. One thing Nadal did for Federer is he made him up his fitness levels
Both good comments here. I feel that each of the big three made the other two that much better. They had to, in order to stay on top of the game, and they each know each others' games so well. It's almost as though none of them can be judged without some sort of comparison to the other two. It really is now one of the best time periods in professional men's tennis.
How can I watch USO 2020 after watching this!!
Lo que estos tipos jugaban, en el pináculo de sus carreras, es algo nunca visto. Ahora que se discute quien es el mejor en la historia del tenis, he aquí, para mí, los dos más grandes. No tengo yo ninguna duda. Una mención en especial para Nadal. Que despliegue, que poder físico, que tenacidad. No he visto, ni en el pasado, ni en el presente, cosa semejante.
Nobody could beat Rafa in that night. Have to admit that.
2011 or 2016 novak could beat him quite easily, because on AO courts novak is almost unstoppable.
The best match from Rafa in that A0 was easily against Verdasco. He played ultra god mode. In this match no one could actually stop Federer, he was in god mode until he run out of energy in last stages of the final set
@@Luchon20082010 I agree.And I thought the semi final match against Dimitrov AO 2017 was the match of the tournament.five hour match which drained Nadal for the final.
@@Luchon20082010 how could he run out of energy at the age of 27?
Ashok Kumar Djokovic barely even won his only match against Nadal in the Australian Open in 2012 when Nadal was a break up in the fifth, and Nadal was playing at a lower level than here, what makes you think Djokovic would have won here? Nadal is tied with Djokovic on hard courts grand slams 2-2 and actually leads at the US Open 2-1, your comment has no basis at all.
I think rafa is considered better than Federer even though Federer has won more slam I just think the level of opposition hes faced in finals and overall is far better than what Roger has faced
This comment didn't age well 😂
24:01 point in the final and the banana shot against Verdasco in the semifinal was the greatest and unforgettable points ever won by Nadal in his career.
Those two are not rackets.. They are rocket launchers... The ball is the real rocket.. Every shot is a winner from the players... I am very happy to see this level of tennis.. Thank you for that...
This match revealed to me that Roger Federer is a *FIGHTER!*
He showed glimpses of it in '08 WIMBLEDON but he really cemented himself here even in a loss. Rafa will always be my favorite player.
Just came by wondering what a Zverev (or any "Next gen") would do against this Federer or this Nadal
Absolutely nothing. The problem with the next gen is they're very tall, that doesn't help with your movement in tennis
They cant even beat them at 32+ years of age 😂
@@dualShockRK98 I'm from Germany and even I don't see how Zverev should win even one set against Nadal/Federer when they are playing on this level. In fact they beat him both even today, when they getting their game together.
@@simeondobrev5835 True. Djokvoic, Federer, Nadal, Murray are all in that area. Also Stan with 183
6-1 6-2 6-3
The best match i have ever seen!!
This match is the greatest in terms of pure shotmaking. 2012 final was the greatest in terms of physicality and grit. 2017 final was the most historically significant and most dramatic. AusOpen has had some terrific classics
2005 Australian with Safin and Federer had good shotmaking on the old green court which seemed to play quicker than this court
Rafa court coverage foot speed and counter-defense is insane here..
Nadal was so clutch in this Match , Federer had tons of chances ... still don't know why fed served so badly here
Ertugrul Körpinar Nadal got into his head.
Ertugrul Körpinar I believe his back problems hindered his serve here, didn't he pull out of Dubai because of this?
Sollvi H It may not have bothered him here though. He did get injured at the end of 2008 and then in Dubai in 2009. He went on a roll after that though.
Yeah, but he compensated with playing ultra agressive (unlike the very poor display he had against roddick) and having way more winners than Nadal.
He had mono and back problems.
And Nadal played this FINAL on the heels of *THE GREATEST SEMI-FINAL* I have ever seen btwn him and Verdasco and he STILL beat Federer. Guy is a *MACHINE!*
(ALTHOUGH Imo, i think that semifinal match derailed Nadal's career in terms of his knees. I felt his body gave out after that torture even tho he had more in the tank here!)
IMHO the best tennis match ever played.
The only way I can see Federer keeping Grand slam record is if he plays 2-3 more years and wins Wimbledon and Australian open each year to get to like 25 or so. And even then Djokovic and Nadal will likely pass him unless they retire or get injured
La calidad de tenis de este partido es enorme. Nadal y Federer estaban en su mejor momento. Para mí es el mejor partido de ambos, incluso mejor que la final de Wimbledon de 2008
We can clearly see the difference in the movements of them from 2009 final,fresh instinct to 2017,quick but slow instinct,dammn curse of the age.
Both have improved the power and precision on all their shots in the last few years.
Such a sweet, sweet victory and later on made Federer cry like a baby!!
Who's here after nadal just won his 2nd austrailian open title !!!!!