The four Grand Slam showcases in tennis have offered up a long list of memorable and historic finals matches. In 1984, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert met in their 61st meeting to display one of the premier US Open finals ever, with Navratilova pulling out the victory.
Also, in 1984, it took four hours and eight minutes for Ivan Lendl to down John McEnroe in a roaring five-setter at the French Open, keeping McEnroe void of the one major he never would capture. It was McEnroe's title to win, but Lendl came back from two sets down to steal the crown.
In Australia, the least distinguished of the four majors, yet arguably the loudest, rowdiest, and most intimidating event due to the relentless Aussie fans, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic delivered what many believe to be the best finals match ever down under in 2012. The Joker overcame Nadal in a spellbinding five-hour slugfest.
What are some of Wimbledon's most memorable finals?
That's three Grand Slams covered, but what about the fourth? What does Wimbledon have to offer in terms of its most memorable finals battles ever? There are many, of course, but here are three of them that must be honored.
3) Venus Williams over Lindsay Davenport, 4-6, 7-6, 9-7 (2005)
No women's Wimbledon finals had ever gone the two-hour and 45-minute distance until Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport took theirs in 2005. It still stands today as the longest women's final at Wimbledon.
The three-setter saw Williams, who was already a Wimbledon champion twice over by that time (2000, 2001), dethrone the world No. 1 Davenport, becoming the lowest-seeded player ever to win it. Williams was seeded at No.14 for the event and No.16 on the WTA tour at the time.
It was a match made of toughness and sheer will, considering that Davenport exited the third set with a back injury. She returned to eventually have Williams on the brink of defeat, holding a match point over her head, but Williams saved it, and she went on to claim her third of five Wimbledon titles with a 4-6, 7-6, 9-7 win.
Williams' low seed, Davenport's exit, then return, and the two-plus hours made for one epic match, and that's why it's one of the most memorable finals on Center Court.
2. Bjorn Borg over John McEnroe, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6 (1980)
John McEnroe may have never won the big one on clay, but he had much success on grass, winning three Wimbledon's in his career. Unfortunately, 1980 wasn't one of those wins, but it does go down as one of the best finals in Wimbledon history.
Going up against the Ice Man, Bjorn Borg, was no easy task for McEnroe. The five-set thriller still features some of the most excellent tennis ever witnessed, even over 40 years later. The gem of the battle came in the fourth set—a ridiculous, almost unfathomable, 34-point fourth-set tiebreaker that lasted 22 minutes. It was the "Showtime" Lakers on grass, which coincidentally also occurred in the '80s. It was pure entertainment.
In that tiebreaker set, McEnroe had survived a double-match point early on in the set and proceeded to survive five more match points later in the tiebreaker. Critical points weren't only against McEnroe, either. Borg had to fend off six set points in that same tiebreaker. McEnroe eventually won the set.
If the fourth tiebreaker set weren't enough, the two men would duel in another extended and final set, which Borg would also win, securing the match win 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6, ending the magic.
1. Rafael Nadal over Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (6-8), 9-7 (2008)
There's no denying that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal sit on the Mount Olympus of tennis—immortals, virtually unbeatable in their prime (almost their entire careers, really) and untoppled legends if there ever were any.
The matches between these fiercest of competitors were must-see television, no matter the event or surface, and especially when their rivalry began to flare truly, you couldn't look away. In 2008, however, Federer and Nadal arguably played their most excellent match of all time.
Federer was dominating Wimbledon by the time he met Nadal this time around, having won five of the previous Wimbledon titles and seeking his sixth. He had beaten Nadal the previous year, in 2007, and Nadal was looking for revenge and his first title there.
John McEnroe, who was also involved in a Wimbledon epic against Bjorn Borg in 1980, as mentioned at number 2 on this list, would, at the time, say that this match between Federer and Nadal was the greatest match he had ever seen.
The five-set 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (6-8), 9-7 win would land Nadal his first Wimbledon title, halting Federer's streak at five. It was a four-hour and 48-minute classic for the ages, and most believe today that it is Wimbledon's best finals match ever played.
The best part about it, though, was that the rivalry between Federer and Nadal wasn't even close to being over. Together, they would go on to accumulate 10 Wimbledon titles between them.
What does 2025 have in store?
What Federer achieved in the early to mid-2000s was replicated by Djokovic from 2018 to 2022 (2020 being the exception due to the COVID-19 pandemic). He had won it four consecutive years, and had the tournament been played in '20, he very well may have won it then, too.
While there were no "classics" during his run (despite a five-set victory over Federer in 2019), Djokovic became a memorable finals participant just by showing up time after time.
On the women's side, Wimbledon has had eight different champions dating back to 2016, when Serena Williams captured her second consecutive title there. None of those finals were as memorable, either, or even close to as memorable as Wimbledon's history includes.
What is in store for this year? With the rise of a new rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, tennis fans can only hope for a match close to the brilliance and magic that was Nadal-Federer circa 2008. Will they present that to us this year? Perhaps. If not this year, it should happen in the future.
If you appreciate trends, recent history suggests that a ninth champion will emerge from the women's side—perhaps Jasmine Paolini will finally strike to gain her first major win; she's certainly due. As for the men, Alacraz is seeking his third straight win; Sinner his first.
Peering out to the rest of the field, we've seen some great tennis from the others this season. Whether any of this will translate into a memorable finals match on either side, we can only clutch our fists and hope for it. 2008 was a long time ago; we're due for another saga-worthy Wimbledon battle—a memorable one.