Ten greatest Wimbledon men's finals?

Mainad

Mainad

Bionic Poster
Today the 2020 Wimbledon Mens' Singles Final should have been played. In its absence, BBC's Wimbledon Re-Wind Show (hosted by 1977 semi-finalist Sue Barker) has been showing highlights of what, according to a poll of experts and and a separate public poll, were voted the ten best men's finals at Wimbledon in the Open Era. These were the matches they voted on and which were shown in reverse order (winner vs runner-up):

Experts' rankings:

1. 2008 Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer
2. 1980 Björn Borg vs John McEnroe
3. 2001 Goran Ivanisevic vs Pat Rafter
4. 2013 Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic
5. 2019 Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer
6. 2009 Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick
7. 1985 Boris Becker vs Kevin Curren
8. 1981 John McEnroe vs Björn Borg
9. 2000 Pete Sampras vs Pat Rafter
10. 1975 Arthur Ashe vs Jimmy Connors


Popular Vote:

1. 2008 Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer
2. 2013 Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic
3. 1980 Björn Borg vs John McEnroe
4. 2019 Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer
5. 2001 Goran Ivanisevic vs Pat Rafter
6. 2009 Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick
7. 1981 John McEnroe vs Björn Borg
8. 1975 Arthur Ashe vs Jimmy Connors
9. 1985 Boris Becker vs Kevin Curren
10. 2000 Pete Sampras vs Pat Rafter

Both the experts and the public agree on the number 1 spot and place slightly differently with the rest.

Discuss or disgust.

www.bbc.co.uk

Your greatest Wimbledon men's final

With no Wimbledon this year, we looked back at 10 of the best men's finals - and you voted Rafael Nadal's epic 2008 win over Roger Federer as your favourite.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
mike danny said:
I think that many of these picks were just about the ocassion or story and not the actual match quality.

2008: changing of the guard
2013: a Brit wins Wimb after 77 years
2001: Goran finally wins Wimb and as a wildcard too
2009: Fed breaks the slam record
1981: Borg's Wimb reign ends
1985: a 17 year old Becker wins Wimb
Click to expand...
2019: 40-15 aka slem race becomes 2 way.
 
No doubt about 1980 being the best, but 1970 and 1990 were superior to most of the matches on that list.

1992 should also probably make the top 10.
 
2007 final was clearly a higher level than 2008 from both players. And 2013 has no business even in the top 30 Wimbledon finals. Neither does Ashe-Connors deserve any top 10 status, it’s absurd.

And where is 1992, a five setter between Andre and Goran? That was a great match!
 
K-H said:
Am i the only one that thought 2014 could've made that list as well
I thought it was a high level from both IIRC.
Click to expand...
Very clean match the stats look scary for both one of the best actually for Wim finals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: K-H
ptennisb said:
2013 wimbledon??? WTF???? Just because a brit finally won wimbledon doesn't mean it was a good final.
Click to expand...

BeatlesFan said:
2007 final was clearly a higher level than 2008 from both players. And 2013 has no business even in the top 30 Wimbledon finals. Neither does Ashe-Connors deserve any top 10 status, it’s absurd
Click to expand...

2013 is the only straight setter amongst the ten selected which I guess is what must rule it out for many fans (although I certainly don't think the quality is that bad) but, as I said, its sheer memorability especially for British fans meant there was no way they weren't going to include it. Most of the other finals in the list seem to have been selected for their sheer memorability and iconic status. Doubtless there are many other finals whose quality deserved to be included but I guess they just didn't stick in the popular memory as well as others.
 
Mainad said:
1. 2008 Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer
2. 1980 Björn Borg vs John McEnroe
3. 2001 Goran Ivanisevic vs Pat Rafter
4. 2013 Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic
5. 2019 Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer
6. 2009 Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick
7. 1985 Boris Becker vs Kevin Curren
8. 1981 John McEnroe vs Björn Borg
9. 2000 Pete Sampras vs Pat Rafter
10. 1975 Arthur Ashe vs Jimmy Connors
Click to expand...
2007 Wimbledon should be around #5. It was an exceptional match in terms of quality and legacy.
 
Mainad said:
2013 is the only straight setter amongst the ten selected which I guess is what must rule it out for many fans (although I certainly don't think the quality is that bad) but, as I said, its sheer memorability especially for British fans meant there was no way they weren't going to include it. Most of the other finals in the list seem to have been selected for their sheer memorability and iconic status. Doubtless there are many other finals whose quality deserved to be included but I guess they just didn't stick in the popular memory as well as others.
Click to expand...

I don't think people outside the UK appreciate how popular Murray is these days.

All that "miserable Scot" stuff is long gone.
 
Fedforever said:
I don't know if you'd class it as a "great match" but McEnroe's 1984 demolition of Connors was just beautiful grass court tennis of a type we'll never see again.
Click to expand...
And remember Jimbo uncharacteristically said after the match, "it wasn't that I was playing lousy, I was playing great. But there was nothing I could do to blunt that game." And they hated each other at that time!
 
mike danny said:
And the strong era would have started in 2007.
Click to expand...
I think 2007 was a really strong year. Nadal continued his unparalleled dominance on clay, Djokovic emerged as a force on hard courts, and Federer was close to his best throughout the entire year. Nalbandian also was on fire in October. The only weak period was the second half of 2006 in my opinion. 2004 and 2005 were decent.

Year end rankings of 2007:

1. Federer
2. Nadal
3. Djokovic
4. Davydenko
5. Ferrer
6. Roddick
7. Gonzo
8. Gasquet
9. Nalby
10. Robredo
 
BeatlesFan said:
2007 final was clearly a higher level than 2008 from both players. And 2013 has no business even in the top 30 Wimbledon finals. Neither does Ashe-Connors deserve any top 10 status, it’s absurd.

And where is 1992, a five setter between Andre and Goran? That was a great match!
Click to expand...

Nadal 2007 was stronger than Nadal 2008 at Wimbledon? Pretty silly statement, clearly Nadal was stronger in 2008 (did you actually Wimbledon in those years?)- first time I've ever heard this.
 
Murray/Djokovic?

2142662325-ric-flair-o.gif
 
REKX said:
Nadal 2007 was stronger than Nadal 2008 at Wimbledon? Pretty silly statement, clearly Nadal was stronger in 2008 (did you actually Wimbledon in those years?)- first time I've ever heard this.
Click to expand...
Watch the match again. In my opinion, Federer was better than he was in 2008. Nadal 2007 was on about the same level as he was in 2008. I didn't see too much of a difference.
 
REKX said:
Nadal 2007 was stronger than Nadal 2008 at Wimbledon? Pretty silly statement, clearly Nadal was stronger in 2008 (did you actually Wimbledon in those years?)- first time I've ever heard this.
Click to expand...
@REKX LOL!!! I've been watching tennis since I was 5 years old in 1979. This is a forum consisting of opinions and mine is valid. Yes, Nadal was the stronger and better player in the 2007 Wimbledon final than in the 2008 final because he was dealing with PEAK Federer. Roger clearly played superior, less choking tennis in the 2007 final than in 2008, when his BH was pathetic, his choking extreme in many tight situations and hadn't been mentally destroyed by Rafa in the 2008 FO final.

Read Nadal's ghostwritten book where he specifically says his level in the 2007 Wimbledon final was the highest it had ever been, including on clay.
 
BeatlesFan said:
@REKX LOL!!! I've been watching tennis since I was 5 years old in 1979. This is a forum consisting of opinions and mine is valid. Yes, Nadal was the stronger and better player in the 2007 Wimbledon final than in the 2008 final because he was dealing with PEAK Federer. Roger clearly played superior, less choking tennis in the 2007 final than in 2008, when his BH was pathetic, his choking extreme in many tight situations and hadn't been mentally destroyed by Rafa in the 2008 FO final.

Read Nadal's ghostwritten book where he specifically says his level in the 2007 Wimbledon final was the highest it had ever been, including on clay.
Click to expand...
And Federer himself said his highest level was in 2015 (as our resident statistician would remind you). Obviously no one is as qualified to speak about their own level as the player themselves, but even then you can't always take their word as gospel.
 
You also have to remember that for people to find it memorable, then they have to have watched it.... And remember watching it. Viewing figures for the Murray win were huge in the UK and people remember it. Same with other "nice" stories like Goran etc

You've then also hit recency bias as well. And possibly that some of the worst of the serve and volley era might actually have been pretty dull for the average viewer
 
BeatlesFan said:
And remember Jimbo uncharacteristically said after the match, "it wasn't that I was playing lousy, I was playing great. But there was nothing I could do to blunt that game." And they hated each other at that time!
Click to expand...

Also rather nicely McEnroe said in his press conference that he hoped it made Chris Lewis feel a bit better about the hammering he'd taken from Mac the year before, that it hadn't meant he was a terrible player.
 
BringBackWood said:
The bbc is a joke that should be defunded. Why do I pay clueless Sue Barker et al?
Click to expand...
Boomer? I listen to enough on BBC radio that I never resent my licence fee. Everything else is just a bonus. There's plenty that I don't like and wish were better. The alternatives always seem infinitely worse though.
 
BeatlesFan said:
@REKX LOL!!! I've been watching tennis since I was 5 years old in 1979. This is a forum consisting of opinions and mine is valid. Yes, Nadal was the stronger and better player in the 2007 Wimbledon final than in the 2008 final because he was dealing with PEAK Federer. Roger clearly played superior, less choking tennis in the 2007 final than in 2008, when his BH was pathetic, his choking extreme in many tight situations and hadn't been mentally destroyed by Rafa in the 2008 FO final.

Read Nadal's ghostwritten book where he specifically says his level in the 2007 Wimbledon final was the highest it had ever been, including on clay.
Click to expand...
So Federer playing better in the 2007 final implies that Nadal did too? :rolleyes:
 
2014 Djokovic-Federer: 5 setter between 2 Wimbledon greats, how can it not be there?

2013 Murray-Djokovic: is it the only 3 setter on the list? Shouldn't be there!
 
They apparently have to put the only British man champion (since pre-history) on the list somehow! And they can't possibly put Murray-Raonic there!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
The greats' most famous matches
Replies
20
Views
2K
jjames
jjames
RF-18
What does this list say?
Replies
34
Views
3K
xFedal
xFedal
yellowoctopus
US Open Champions and their backhands
Replies
5
Views
2K
yellowoctopus
yellowoctopus
The_Order
The TMF GOAT list
2
Replies
67
Views
6K
FlyingSaucer
FlyingSaucer
zvelf
  • Poll Poll
Which is your favorite 5-year stretch in Open Era tennis?
2
Replies
60
Views
3K
SamprasisGOAT
SamprasisGOAT
Back
Top