When a 23-Year-Old Lewis Hamilton Found a Mysterious Similarity With Rafael Nadal?s ?Hunger? After His Thumping Wimbledon Victory: ?Thought Federer Was Going to Win’

Lewis Hamilton, the legendary F1 racer, spoke about his admiration for Nadal’s fighting spirit and hunger after his epic victory over Federer at the Wimbledon Championships in 2008. Rafael Nadal and Hamilton share the same determination to succeed. Like Nadal, Hamilton has won the Formula 1 driver’s championship in different eras. Hamilton cited Nadal’s epic win at Wimbledon in 2008 as a great motivational tool.

Both players have set high standards for achieving exemplary success in their respective sport. In 2008, Hamilton was trying to win his first Formula 1 driver’s championships, much like Nadal at Wimbledon. Lewis Hamilton won his first title with McLaren in 2008, making him the youngest champion in the history of the sport until Sebastian Vettel surpassed him in 2010.

Hamilton on taking inspiration from Rafael Nadal’s victory

By 2020, Rafael Nadal won 11 Monte Carlo Masters and 11 Barcelona titles. Hamilton won his seventh driver’s championship at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, equaling the record for most championships. Lewis Hamilton won the Eifel Grand Prix the same year, his 91st career win, equaling Michael Schumacher’s astonishing record. On the same day, in tennis, Rafael Nadal? won an astonishing 13 French Open titles, equaling Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles for men.

After watching the Spaniard take down Federer in five sets in the 2008 Wimbledon final, Lewis Hamilton was quoted as saying, “He had even more hunger, and it is impossible to match that once you have won it a lot of times. The game went on for so long, and I only caught the last half an hour, and that was long enough for me.” Hamilton, in praise of the Spaniard, spoke, “Nadal had something new. He had even more hunger, and it is impossible to match that once you have won it a lot of times.”

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Hamilton further added, “I thought Federer was going to win. I’m not biassed because I know him, and he is a fantastic athlete who has achieved so much. But I knew Nadal was hungry for it. “?When asked whether Hamilton identified Nadal’s hunger with that of his bid to become Formula One’s youngest world champion, the racer replied: “Probably, yes.”

The epic 2008 final match was a delight for everyone

Nadal fought his legendary opponent tooth and nail for about five hours. Fighting with a painful leg injury and amidst heavy rain, Rafael Nadal won over the dynamic Federer by 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7.

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Many fans and experts consider the 2008 Wimbledon final to be the best match of all time. It was Federer’s first loss in a Grand Slam final outside of the French Open, and his 65-match winning streak ended at the hands of the ‘Ogre of Ocher’.