"Beating prime Federer on his best surface"; "Final with Medvedev has to be up there"-Fans debate Rafael Nadal's biggest Slam win outside French Open

Tennis fans have said that the victory at the Wimbledon finals in 2008 was Rafael Nadal's best Grand Slam win outside the French Open, as he beat Roger Federer on his favorite surface in what is widely regarded as one of their most famous match-ups ever.

Fans assessed Nadal's best performance outside Roland Garros, where he has won a record 14 titles, the highest for a male or a female at a Major. His famous victory at Wimbledon against Federer in five thrilling sets in 2008 is considered one of the best matches ever played in men's tennis.

"Wimbledon 08. Beating prime Federer on his best surface and playing one of the highest level grass matches ever makes this a no brainer," a fan wrote on Reddit.

Comment byu/Imaginary-Lab6200 from discussion intennis

Fans also said that Rafael Nadal's epic five-set comeback win over Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open finals of 2022 deserves to be acknowledged as one of the best ever, as the Spaniard clinched the title after losing the first two sets.

"The 2022 Australian Open final with Medvedev has to be right up there. How the hell did he come back from that? It was done and dusted. Medvedev is such a dominant hard court player, and he had him on the ropes. They showed a 4 percent chance of victory for Rafa, and I saw that and laughed it off thinking even that's a bit optimistic," a fan said.

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Another fan said that Rafael Nadal's US Open title win in 2013 ranks quite high in the order as it came against Novak Djokovic, an arch-rival and one of the greatest ever to play the game, and that the Spaniard's Australian Open win against Federer in 2009 also deserved a mention.

"I think the top 3 have to be the 3 Slams Nadal won off of clay against prime Fed/Novak who are obviously the toughest opponents he could face on those surfaces. So Wimbledon 2008, USO 2013, and AO 2009. I could see a case for either of the second two to get the #2 spot but you could certainly argue that matchup-wise Nadal beating Novak is more impressive than him beating Fed," a fan said.

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Here are some more reactions from fans, with many of them claiming that the 2008 Wimbledon final clash was Nadal's most memorable Grand Slam match.

"Ao 2022, that comeback was pure Rafa style of never give up," a fan remarked.

"Wimbledon 2008, no other answer necessary," a fan said.

"Has to be Wimbledon 2008. Peak Federer in his own backyard in what's widely regarded as their most famous match," another one wrote.

"Wimbledon 08 is imo the best tennis match ever played. So that one," another fan claimed.

"It also marked the end of Roger’s one man domination, putting Rafa firmly as his prime opponent on all surfaces and not just clay," another fan added.

Rafael Nadal has won 22 out of 30 Grand Slam finals

Rafael Nadal with the trophy after winning the French Open in 2022

Rafael Nadal has won 22 out of the 30 Grand Slam finals he has appeared in. Only Roger Federer (31) and Novak Djokovic (36) have appeared in more Grand Slam finals. His 22 Grand Slam titles is the second-most of all time behind Djokovic's record 24 titles.

The Spaniard has played in at least five finals in each Major, which is second only to Djokovic, who has played seven finals in each Major. He is the only man to win multiple majors in three separate decades.

Nadal also holds the record for most titles at three major ATP tournaments, with 14 titles at the French Open, 12 wins at the Barcelona Open, and 11 titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters.