'I never imagined something like this' - Nadal reflects on Wimbledon 2008 win

By Harry Poole BBC Sport journalist It remains arguably the greatest men's match ever played. The drama, the quality, the implications of victory for either Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer - it all contributed to an unforgettable masterpiece which concluded as darkness descended on Wimbledon's Centre Court, nearly seven hours after the 2008 singles final began. It ended in a seismic five-set victory for the then 22-year-old Nadal, and one the 22-time Grand Slam champion now sees as being crucial to his future success. "To be able to beat the best player on grass in a final, after all the things that happened during the match, was something to be proud of," Nadal told the BBC's Sporting Witness earlier this year. "But I was a player that, because of my character, I was never 100% in peace. "I had achieved that, but now I have to keep going. That's the way my mind worked all my tennis career - and that's what I did." Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Rafael Nadal lost his first two Wimbledon finals to Roger Federer before beating the Swiss great in 2008 During his career, Nadal established his status as the undisputed 'King of Clay'. The Spaniard won 14 of his 22 major titles on that surface at Roland Garros, where a plaque bearing his footprint was unveiled on Court Philippe Chatrier in tribute to his achievements. Because of his superiority on clay, some doubted Nadal's ability on other surfaces. While he did not have those same doubts internally, a statement Slam triumph away from the French Open felt crucial to silencing the critics. "I always had in my mind that I need to play well on grass and in every surface to become a complete player," Nadal, 40, said. "I was not that bad. The truth is, I was achieving a lot on hard and grass courts but, because I was winning on clay, people considered me a clay-court player." After winning his first French Open in 2005, Nadal lost his sole grass-court match in his only tournament before Wimbledon, before suffering a shock second-round exit at SW19. Nadal did not practise on the grass after his maiden Roland Garros win - something he now regards as a mistake. Listen to Sporting Witness: Nadal on his historic Wimbledon win over Federer Nadal won another French Open title in 2006. The day after lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires, he was already practising on the grass. That year, he reached the first of what would be three successive Wimbledon finals against Federer, who had not lost at the grass-court major since 2002. Federer had beaten Nadal in four sets in the 2006 Wimbledon final - including a first-set bagel - and five sets 12 months later. He arrived at the 2008 championships as the five-time defending champion. But, four weeks before their Wimbledon showdown, Nadal had destroyed Federer 6-1 6-3 6-0 in the Roland Garros final to give him the confidence he could dethrone his rival. "I lost already two finals. In 2008,
I arrived to the tournament ready. For me, it was a huge goal to win Wimble