Strokes of Genius: Riveting documentary on Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer's eternal rivalry

Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe makes an emphatic observation at beginning of documentary Strokes of Genius- “I have seen a lot of tennis matches. I have commented and played a lot…re is question in my mind overall, that 2008 Wimbledon match between Rafa and Roger was greatest tennis match ever.”

Based on L. Jon Werim's book of same name, documentary narrates rivalry between tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nal through lenses of 5-set epic match at Wimbledon final in 2008.

Getting to play in Centre Court of Wimbledon is biggest dream for any tennis player. Given trition and legacy of oldest grand slam tournament, players give ir best despite short duration of grass-court season in a year.

Wimbledon has often been called ‘Federer’s house’. In final, Federer entered as five-time defending champion, having defeated Nal twice in previous editions of Wimbledon.

In a match that clocked 4 hours and 48 minutes of play, witnessed two rain delays and faced a possibility of postponement to next day due to b light, it was Nal who defied all odds and ultimately prevailed over Federer in classic.

Narrated through smart us of archival foot from match, documentary captures intimate mood of match.

documentary traces back to finalists' childhood and showcases ir journey as tennis players. It rightly spends most of its runtime exploring ir virtues given individual nature of sport. It also draws a parallel with two or legendary rivalries: Chris Evert-Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe-Bjorn Borg. This allows audience to get a deeper insight into how two rivals make each better players. Both Federer and Nal recount memories of final and narrate ir experiences on court.

documentary's core focus, however, is on rivalry's impact on Federer and Nal individually. 2008 Wimbledon match laid foundation of great rivalry and reinforced ir passion for game reafter. 

On ir rivalry, former Wimbledon Champion Chris Evert puts it clearly in documentary, “ key to a great rivalry is contrast.” Both Federer and Nal have been considered ‘polar opposites’ when it comes to personality, temperament, intensity or playing style.

documentary doesn't shy away from fact that t all matches define a rivalry between two athletes. re will always be predictable, one-sided matches even between two great players. But 2008 Wimbledon final perhaps rewrote history in terms of rivalries and a new start for both players.

After match, it became evident that Nal is t just a clay court wonder. Federer's drive to achieve greater heights in sport only increased. It also set a prime example of how athletes can push each or to limits to reach end goal. But at an emotional core, documentary shows how result of match signified more than a winner. 

'Strokes of Genius' is w streaming on Discovery Plus.