8 times Roger Federer proved that he is the King of Grass

Roger Federer with the 2006 Wimbledon trophy

Wimbledon 2006: Def. Rafael Nadal in the final

This was the year when the Swiss ace first met his greatest rival, the 20-year-old Spaniard Rafael Nadal, in a Grand Slam final. Nadal had won their first final, at the 2006 French Open, and was looking to become the first man since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

The left-handed Nadal was a tough opponent for the Swiss right from the start, as he manufactured wicket angles with his topspin forehand and ran down nearly every one of Federer’s groundstrokes. But Federer responded with style, handing the Spaniard a bagel in the first set before sealing the match in four sets.

The 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 scoreline probably made the match look tougher than it was.