By Tony Fairbairn at Wimbledon
- Novak Djokovic [1] def Nick Kyrgios 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3)
- Djokovic was the mentally tougher player as he edged past Kyrgios for seventh Wimbledon title
LONDON, ENGLAND – Novak Djokovic edged past Nick Kyrgios in four sets to claim his seventh Wimbledon title and his 21st Grand Slam title.
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Novak Djokovic [1] def Nick Kyrgios 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3)
Novak Djokovic won an emotional seventh Wimbledon title and 21st Grand Slam title after edging past Nick Kyrgios in four tough sets. The Australian entered his first Grand Slam final but showed no signs of nerves as he hammered down serves past the defending champion. Djokovic matched Kyrgios’ confident start on serve with the top seed producing clinical serving in all areas to hold onto his opening two games.
Kyrgios though would soon take the initiative in the opening set as he displayed some tolerant baseline play to surprisingly win the longer rallies against the Serb. Djokovic was all of the sudden feeling tentative and nervous as he produced a double fault to give Kyrgios the early break. The Australian had a spring in his step and took full advantage as he continued to hammer down the serves and produce effective groundstroke as he took a 5-3 lead.
Djokovic continued to apply the pressure as Kyrgios was forced to serve out the opening set. The six-time champion forced Kyrgios to deuce with some good slices and point construction but the Australian remained resilient to close out the opening set.
There was semi-frustration for the Serb as he was failing to read the Kyrgios serve at the start of the second set but Djokovic was taking care of his own serve comfortably with effortless precision. The Serb then proved why he is the best returner of all time with some deep returning setting up break point which he converted with a lucky net cord.
Djokovic took the incentive and had to survive some tough service games with Kyrgios also improving his retuning with a mixture of power and depth. Kyrgios provided some attacking tennis in the ninth game to try and make the final breakthrough but Djokovic held his nerve as he proved to be too consistent for the erratic Australian as he saved three break points to seal the second set.
In the third set Kyrgios made his feelings known about the crowd and also some of the line-calls that didn’t go his way as Djokovic somehow tried to manufacture the crucial break. The Serb was starting to read the world number 40’s pattern of plays but Kyrgios produced aces and big serves in crucial moments.
That was until the ninth game as Djokovic increased the intensity on return as he came back from 40-0 to get to Deuce in the ninth game. Kyrgios was berating the coaching box for his own faults and errors as a double fault set up a crucial break point. The Australian produced another unforced error as Djokovic sealed the crucial break to serve for the fourth set. Kyrgios’ constant muttering wasn’t helping the score-line as Djokovic produced a clinical serving display to seal the third set and take a two sets to one lead.
Both players regrouped in the fourth set producing serving of the highest quality as Kyrgios was determined to delay Djokovic’s title celebrations for as long as possible. Neither player created any clear opportunities on return as there was some clutch serving occurring. Djokovic forced a tiebreak and would take control as Kyrgios was passive and made a flurry of errors from deep baseline shots from the top seed.
Despite a strong end to the tiebreak it wasn’t enough for Kyrgios as Djokovic sealed a seventh Wimbledon title, tying with his childhood hero Pete Sampras. Furthermore he claimed a 21st Grand Slam title and heads into the US Open just one Grand Slam behind Rafael Nadal.
‘Only feel Joy and Happiness’
Djokovic produced a clinical performance today to claim a seventh Wimbledon title and 21st grand slam title. The win seals what has been an emotional last year for him from the ordeal of not playing the Australian Open to the agony of not being able to reach the latter stages at Roland Garros. After the match in his press conference Djokovic spoke about how he is feeling to be back in the winners circle and win a fourth title in a row at Wimbledon:
“I mean, obviously over the moon with joy and happiness of experiencing this moment once again. I’ve said it many times, this tournament is extra special for me because it has been the first tournament that I’ve ever watched as a kid that got me to start playing tennis,” Djokovic admitted.
“I don’t take any wins for granted, and particularly not in Wimbledon. In contrary, actually every time feels a bit different, special in its own way. Of course, having family and close people in my life here to share this victory with them, it was beautiful.
“The more you win, it’s logical the more confident, the more comfortable you feel out there every next time you step out on the court. So the run keeps going. I feel very connected with this court and with this tournament without a doubt.”
It’s no secret that Djokovic has been mentally traumatic for him and the Serb alluded to that in his press conference as he spoke about how this title has come at a crucial time in his career:
“Well, I mean, certainly this year has not been the same like last years. It has started the way it has started and it has affected me definitely in the first several months of the year. I was not feeling great generally. I mean, mentally, emotionally, I was not at a good place,” Djokovic told the press.
“It’s not a coincidence that this place has such relevance in my life and career. It’s a relief, as well, considering what I’ve been through of course this year. It adds more value and more significance and more emotions, of course. I don’t feel I’m in rush really anywhere to end my career in a year time or two year time or whatever it is. Just I’m not thinking about it.
“I want to keep my body healthy ’cause that’s obviously necessary in order to keep going at this level. Of course, keep myself mentally sane and motivated to compete with the young guns.”
Next for Djokovic is a vacation and then after that is the US Open if he can get an exemption to the tournament as he has no plans to get vaccinated:
“I am on vacation. Whether or not I’m playing any tournament soon, I’ll definitely be resting for the next couple weeks because it has been quite an exhausting and demanding period for me the last few months. A lot of tennis, which I was very happy about. I got what I wanted here,” Djokovic admitted over his uncertain future.
“Then I’ll wait hopefully for some good news from USA because I would really love to go there. That would be probably the next big tournament, the next big swing, playing a tournament or two before US Open and US Open. If that doesn’t happen, then I have to see what the schedule will look like. To be honest, I doubt that I’ll go and chase points.
“As I understand from my agent today, winning Grand Slam would qualify you for World Tour Finals unless you’re out of top 20, which I don’t know. With accumulated points so far, I guess I’ll make top 20.
“Yeah, I guess I have a good chance to be already in the Finals. I will not burden myself to really have to go and play tournaments and get points. I’ll see. I don’t really feel any pressure or necessity to play a certain schedule. And things have changed in the last year, year and a half for me. I achieved that historic No. 1, weeks for No. 1, that I worked for all my life. Now that that’s done and dusted, I prioritize slams and big tournaments really and where I want to play, where I feel good.”
‘Hell of an occasion’
As for Kyrgios, he has a lot to be proud of as he was within touching distance of forcing Djokovic to a fifth set and at times played some irresistible tennis. In the end Kyrgios lacked that clinical edge and experience to get over the finishing line as he will hope this is an experience he can look back on as a platform for better things. After the match Kyrgios admitted he was disappointed but he is taking the positives from the experience:
“Yeah, obviously very disappointed. I felt like, you know, to get to the final, there’s always a bit of anxiety of how it’s going to play out, if you kind of feel worthy to be there. I felt like the trophy was definitely attainable today,” Kyrgios said in his press conference.
“That was a hell of a match. I thought I served well. I put myself in a position to win, but I just wasn’t able to play those clutch points well at all today. Confidence obviously. It was a hell of an occasion. People were probably expecting me to have something happen today. But I came out in the first set and I looked like I was the one who had played in a lot of finals. I thought I dealt with the pressure pretty well.
“I feel like I’ve committed a fair bit these two weeks. What more can I do, to be honest? I’ve stayed in most of the time. I’ve tried to just get good sleep, eat well. Not even have a beer here or there. I’ve really tried to commit.
“My practices I’ve really tried to focus, tried to work on things. Like, I’ve committed. I’ve committed everything I can commit these two weeks and I just came up short. I was taught that’s all right. Even though it sucks. Of course it sucks. I’m playing points back in my head from that match that I wish I could have back, but it is what it is.”
Even though it wasn’t the result he was hoping for, Kyrgios gave several hints towards the end of the press conference that his motivation and energy is back. One of the most dangerous things about Kyrgios is that if he is motivated then he’s one of the best players on tour and the Australian said that his fire for the game has been relit:
“I feel like my fire’s been lit this whole year. I’ve obviously met a lot of amazing people this year who have just given me extra motivation,” Kyrgios admitted.
“It takes a hell of an athlete mentally and physically to win one of these things. I think eight people have won this title since I’ve been born. It shows physically one thing, obviously it shows. Mentally it’s another beast. To come back here for two weeks in a row.
“None of the people in this room understand it. It’s just different. Like the social media, the things you have to deal with, like for me it hasn’t been easy the last three or four days to block everything out on socials, just everything, and try and just find the balance. It’s so easy to access all that stuff. I’ve really tried to make a conscious effort of trying to focus on the task on hand.
“I’m just not supposed to be here. Like, I’m a kid from Canberra. I literally a month ago, month and a half ago, I was actually in a facility playing basketball with some boys back home. I literally said to one of them, Look, I think I’m going to, like, have some fun and maybe win Wimbledon.
“Then, like, I’m here as a finalist. Like literally. Like, I didn’t hit more than an hour a day. Just everything. Like, I look back at it and I’m just like, How am I here? How am I here? You know, it’s pretty cool.”
Kyrgios will look to continue the momentum when he plays the US hard court swing later this year.
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