Federer won a classic, fluctuating encounter 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in three hours 38 minutes to move four major titles ahead of Nadal and Pete Sampras on the all-time winners' list.
"Tennis is a tough sport, there's no draws. But if there was going to be one I would have been very happy to accept a draw tonight and share it with Rafa, really," Federer said, as he accepted the trophy from Australian legend Rod Laver.
"Keep playing please, Rafa. Tennis needs you."
After an astonishing comeback from six months out with injury, the Swiss became the oldest man in the post-1968 Open era to win a major since Ken Rosewall at the 1972 Australian Open.
