Nick Kyrgios’ performance left everyone watching at Wimbledon on Sunday, except for one man – Novak Djokovic refused to be sucked into the other side of the net by hullabaloo as he settled the Challenge Cup for a seventh .
In a career that spanned nearly two decades, there was hardly anything the Serbian didn’t overcome in his previous 31 Grand Slam finals.
During that time, he’s faced 11 opponents ranging from Roger Federer in 2007 to Daniil Medvedev last year, but arguably in all of those finals he has never witnessed. anything like theatrical takes place in the corner of Kyrgios.
In fact, in the 134 previous turf championships, the original and proper establishment of the All England Club had never seen anything quite like it on final day.
Djokovic (R) with the winner’s title after defeating Roger Federer at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
There was a cheeky under-arm serve, there were lots of tweets and of course there was a constant stream of words to himself, his entourage and the umpire. At one point, the Australian manager even shouted at the referee to “eject” a female fan from the stands when she “looked like she drank 700 glasses of water, man”.
The distractions abound but it soon became clear why Kyrgios described Djokovic as “a god”. He remained serene during the three-hour uproar to ensure he was the one to celebrate his 21st Grand Slam title by once again grazing Center Court.
The astounding 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (3) win was his 28th straight win at Wimbledon and also means Djokovic hasn’t lost on Center Court since being beaten by Andy Murray. defeated in the final in 2013.
Like Superman in full flight, he swooped down on the Wimbledon grass with the thread on his stomach to continue his celebration, a relief evident for all to see after six tumultuous months of follow-up. His pursuit to become the most successful champion in men’s tennis was halted in Melbourne due to his refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
OTHER SYMBOLS
“It is no coincidence that this place has such a connection in my life and career. It’s also a relief considering what I’ve been through this year. It adds value and more meaning and more emotion,” explained Djokovic after taming Kyrgios for the first time in three encounters.
Djokovic has started 2022 with 20 Grand Slam titles with Big Three rivals Federer and Rafa Nadal. The Serbian has been tipped to break that deadlock at the Australian Open as he owns a record eight men’s titles in the opening match of the season.
But his Australian adventure ended in chaos, with the Serbs being held in an immigration detention center for five days before being deported from the country on the eve of the invasion. fierce war.
“Definitely this year will not be like previous years. In the first few months of the year in general I did not feel well. Mentally, emotionally, I’m not in a good place,” said the 35-year-old, who is currently one title behind Federer to Federer’s eight-man professional grass court record.
“Once I left Australia… (it) caused a stir in me. I just need time to weather the storm.
“Wimbledon has historically always come at such important stages in my life and career. In 2018 as I started the new year with elbow surgery… this was the first shot I won and (it) served as a springboard for (winning the next two majors at) the US Open and the Australian. Open 2019. I am always inspired to play my best tennis in London.”
After Nadal won his first two major titles of the season to bring the gap to 22, Sunday’s victory allowed Djokovic to close that gap with his arch-rival.
Djokovic celebrates after his Wimbledon men’s singles win over Nick Kyrgios.
With his mission accomplished at Wimbledon, the Serb doesn’t know how the rest of the year will play out as he is unable to enter the US unvaccinated at the moment.
As a result, the Serbian probably won’t appear in another match until next May’s French Open as by regulation he will also be banned from playing in Australia in January – thus doing so. reduced Serbian hopes of topping the list of all-time men’s Grand Slam champions.
“I haven’t been vaccinated and I’m not planning on getting it either so the only good news I can have is that they remove the mandatory green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter the US or get an exemption.
“I hope to wait for some good news from the United States because I really enjoyed going there. If that doesn’t happen, then I have to see what the schedule will be like.”
