Federer rocked by 'hardest loss'

John McEnroe said Nadal's 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7 victory was the best match he had ever seen and that included his 1980 final against Bjorn Borg, which entranced tennis fans across the globe.

"It's up to the fans to judge whether it was the best ever. I'm happy we put in a great effort," said Federer.

"It was a fair battle, which was tough with the rain delays. There were some great points and I think we both stayed tough until the very end.

"In tennis unfortunately there have to be winners and losers, there are no draws. But it was probably my hardest loss by far. It doesn't get much harder than this."

The match was the longest ever Wimbledon final at four hours and 48 minutes with the action ending at 9.16pm in the gloaming after a truly gladiatorial battle, which saw Federer claw his way back from two sets down to win two tense tie-breaks in a match punctuated by two rain breaks that only added to the suspense.

The Wimbledon scoreboard was shining brightly in the gloom when Nadal finally broke the Federer serve in the 15th game of the final set and then served out for a victory that shifts the balance of power in world tennis.

Of his victory Nadal said: "I am very happy to have a title here at Wimbledon. When I was a kid I dreamed of playing here but to win here is unbelievable. The Spanish do not have a lot of titles here.

"I don't want to compare the grand slams but Wimbledon is special for everybody. It is more of a surprise for me to win here than the French.

"For me it is emotional and probably the best match (I have played). It was the final of Wimbledon and I had to fight all the time."