We've just  witnessed the best final ever seen at Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer gave the sport a title tilt that tennis may go another four decades or more without coming close to repeating.

In this final – the third year in a row these two players have vied for ultimate honours in men’s singles – the tennis world saw two men who would simply not relent to any tricks their nerves were attempting to play on them.

Instead, they both chose the warrior’s path. That’s the one where they kept fighting and fighting and fighting - trying to prevail in what became the longest Wimbledon men’s final ever. And when the last ball was struck as near darkness crept over the court at 9:16pm London time, it was Nadal, the Spanish sensation, who had won his first Wimbledon title by upending the five-time defending champion.

It was great drama - two rain delays mixing with pummeling battles from the baseline. Nadal was unable to take advantage of two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker. So the match proceeded ending up the latest finishing final in Wimbledon history. That was only fitting, given the incredible showdown waged on Centre Court.

It was such superbly high-quality tennis that it kept the crowd cheering throughout the marathon - even as it got dark and cold. No one left their seat because they knew they were seeing something great - and why miss a moment of it?

Isn’t it ironic that Federer, who could have the best forehand ever, ended the match on a routine forehand into the net. That, of course, told the story of the match as Nadal is the type of guy who always makes an opponent hit one more ball than that opponent wants to hit.

Let's recap what Nadal has claimed since his last defeat to Juan Carlos Ferrero in Rome last May: Hamburg Masters,  Roland Garros, Queen's and Wimbledon. Stunning! After such a memorable match, it is fair to raise few questions about Federer and Nadal:

1)  Is Nadal the world's best player? 

Yes. Any way you look at it, and no matter what the computer might say, Rafa is the best player in the world. His winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year makes him the third man in the open era to achieve that feat behind Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg, who last did it in 1980.

The fact that Federer ranks ahead of Nadal makes the computer rankings look silly. And Federer - great player that he is - has not reeled in a major title this year, which further supports the belief that the Spaniard is the best player on the men’s tour. But be aware, there isn’t much difference between Nadal and Federer – there is not a great gap between where they rank in the men’s game.

Nadal won this Wimbledon final because he was able to keep up his high level of play for a slightly longer period of time than Federer. Nadal hit some unbelievable balls – shots that just took the breath away from the fans. He faced one of the best players in the world and didn’t flinch. Federer lost the match because Nadal proved just a little better in the most important moments.

2) What could Federer have done differently to win the match?

Maybe, of course, hit that last forehand over the net. Clearly Roger was uncomfortable many times in the contest and his staying back did not help him with his goal of trying to win a record sixth consecutive Wimbledon title. Federer might have found it beneficial to attack more on Nadal’s serve but he tried everything he could and it just wasn’t enough.

3) What's next for Federer?

Only he knows, but we’ve probably seen the best of Roger. He’s going to be 27 in August and is going to continue to be a great player for sometime. But he is declining a bit at this stage in his career.

I could be wrong about that but he might be past his prime. And one issue factoring into the question of whether Federer is in even a slight decline is we don’t know the impact on his season of his bout with mononucleosis. There could be some lingering effects but in the Wimbledon final he did play five sets, not lacking stamina and competing in each set quite impressively.

4) Can Nadal win the US Open this year?

It’s going to be interesting to see how Rafa approaches the US Open, where his best-ever result was making the quarter-finals in 2006. I don’t believe the Spaniard comes to the tournament as the favourite. In my mind that distinction still belongs to Federer, who has won the last four titles at the New York major and is the best hard-court player.

This year’s Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic must also be in the debate over who wins the Big Apple summer-swelter – which is certainly another unique test in the Grand Slam world of tennis.

There is a concern over how long Nadal’s body can hold up in a given season, considering how he punishes it with his all-out style of play. So maybe the less hard-court preparation, the better for him. Federer is a guy who just seems to float around a court but Nadal is doing real hard labour on a court every time plays a match.

5) Does Nadal have to win hard-court majors to be considered a truly great player?

Rafa is already an all-time great and he is developing into a player whose ultimate greatness may still be ahead of him. If he wins hard-court majors that would just enhance his already superb accomplishments. And I believe that he can win US Open and Australian Open titles and place himself in Laver’s company. When it comes to Nadal, it’s not a stretch when anyone predicts his best is yet to come.