As Nadal and Federer battled through the fifth set in fading light, they were like two heavyweights going toe-to-toe in the late rounds of a title fight. The intensity and quality of the match recalled the 1980 final between Borg and John McEnroe, which the Swede won in the fifth set after losing an 18-16 tiebreaker.

McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champion and a television commentator at this tournament, called Sunday's final the "greatest match I've ever seen."

Nadal, who has won 24 straight matches, extended his career record against Federer to 11-6, but it was only his third win in six against him on a surface other than clay. Nadal had lost in the last two Wimbledon finals to Federer.

Sunday's epic victory was Nadal's second straight over Federer in a Grand Slam final — and this time on the champion's favorite court and surface. Nadal crushed Federer in last month's French Open final, losing only four games.

Federer, playing in his 16th Grand Slam final, had reached this title match without dropping a set but ran into a player who muscled him around the court for the first two sets with his punishing topspin forehand and refused to buckle in the face of an amazing comeback.

Federer, who saved two match points in the fourth set tiebreaker, came oh-so-close to becoming the first player to overcome a two-set deficit in a Wimbledon men's final since 1927, when Henri Cochet beat Jean Borotra.

Federer also nearly became the first man in 60 years to win the title after saving a match point in the final — Bob Falkenburg beat John Bromwich in 1948 after saving three match points at 3-5 in the fifth set.