Top 5 best Wimbledon Finals of all time Men’s Singles
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The men’s singles final of the Wimbledon Championships 2021 is just round the corner as World No.1 Novak Djokovic will take on debutant Grand Slam finalist Matteo Berrettini in a high-octane clash. While Djokovic will be seeking his 20th Major to equal with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slams won, Berrettini will be aiming to become the first Italian man ever to win the Wimbledon.
But before the ultimate showdown, let us look at 5 Wimbledon men’s singles finals of all time that have etched their names as the best finals ever played on the hallowed grass courts. Please note that we are taking into account the most dramatic finals only of the Open Era, which began in 1968. So let us start.
Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe (1980)
Winning a Grand Slam is outstanding, defending it is great, winning it three times in a row is unthinkable and doing it four successive times is legendary. However, replicating it for the fifth time in a row is out of this world.
A certain Bjorn Borg achieved a historic feat when he won back-to-back five Wimbledon titles between 1976 and 1980. But the best of the lot was of 1980, when Borg edged past his rival John McEnroe 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), 8–6 to claim his fifth trophy in a row. May still call the final of 1980 as one of the greatest and most exciting matches of all time.
Goran Ivanisevic vs Pat Rafter (2001)
In the ultimate underdog story, Ivanisevic defeated Rafter in the final 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7 to win the 2001 Wimbledon. Ivanisevic became the first unseeded player to win the title since Boris Becker in 1985. He also became the first wild card to win a Grand Slam. Before the tournament he was ranked 125th and after the win he climbed 109 places to 16th.
The final itself was a sea-saw battle that witnesses many ebbs and flows before Ivanisevic became the deserving champion and shocked the entire tennis world to give a true sense to the David vs Goliath story.
Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer (2008)
Battered and bruised by two consecutive, agonisingly close Wimbledon final losses in 2006 and 2007 against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal was not to be denying for the third successive time as the King of Clay tamed Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7 to win his first Wimbledon trophy. In the process, Nadal denied the Swiss Maestro a historic sixth consecutive Wimbledon title that would have helped Federer surpass Borg’s five consecutive titles from 1976-1980. Nadal won his fifth Grand Slam title, and his first outside of the French Open. It was also the first time Federer lost a Grand Slam final outside the French Open.
It was the second longest championship match in Wimbledon history with play lasting 4 hours and 48 minutes, and with two rain delays. The event stretched over seven hours ending just before nightfall, and is considered by some to be the greatest match in tennis history.
Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick (2009)
Featuring again on this article, the original champion returned to the hallowed grass courts of the Wimbledon as in a repeat of the 2004 and 2005 finals, Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in the final 5–7, 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5), 3–6, 16–14 to win the 2009 Wimbledon men’s singles title for the sixth time.
It became then the longest men’s singles final (in terms of games played) in Grand Slam tournament history with 77 games, breaking the record of 71 games set at the 1927 Australian Open. The match then also had the longest fifth set (16–14) in a major men’s singles final, surpassing the 11–9 fifth set in the 1927 French Open final.
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer (2019)
The world witnessed two heart-stopping matches on the same day in the same country and almost at the same time. While Eoin Morgan led England team lifted their first World Cup in cricket after emerging victorious against New Zealand by the barest of the margins, the SW19 court at the All England Club witnessed similar drama. Novak Djokovic successfully defended his title, defeating Roger Federer in four hours and 58 minutes, 7–6(7–5), 1–6, 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 13–12(7–3) to win the Gentlemen’s Singles tennis title.
It was the longest singles final in Wimbledon history. Djokovic became the first man since Bob Falkenburg at the 1948 Wimbledon Championships to win the title after being championship points down, having saved two when down 7–8 in the fifth set. Moreover, it was the first Wimbledon where a final set tie break rule was introduced
So, according to us, these were the most dramatic, exhausting and timeless classics finals ever played at the Wimbledon. Let’s see if the 2021 final matches to the intensity of the above mentioned finals or not.
Also read: Ashleigh Barty breaks ‘THIS’ 82-year old record after winning the Wimbledon 2021
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Kushagra Gupta
(349 Articles Published)