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- Novak Djokovic [1] v Nick Kyrgios
- H2H: Kyrgios leads 2-0
LONDON, ENGLAND – Nick Kyrgios is standing between Novak Djokovic and a seventh Wimbledon title as history is on the line on Men’s final day.
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Novak Djokovic [1] v Nick Kyrgios H2H & Match Fundamentals
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Novak Djokovic but the defending champion is into his ninth Wimbledon final and is looking to win a seventh Wimbledon title. Victory on Sunday would put Djokovic one Grand Slam behind Rafael Nadal as he looks to continue his dominant streak at Wimbledon. In order for Djokovic to win a fourth Wimbledon in a row he will have to go through Nick Kyrgios who has been dialled-in the whole tournament and is into his first Grand Slam final. The Australian is finally fulfilling his potential and will now look to continue his inspired tennis mixed with entertainment to achieve a lifelong ambition.
| Novak Djokovic [1] v Nick Kyrgios | H2H: Kyrgios leads 2-0 |
| Wimbledon | London, England |
| Grass (O) | Prize Money: £1,050,000/£2,000,000 |
| Centre Court (14:00 BST) | BBC Sport |
Kyrgios has been a real problem for Djokovic in the past with the Australian winning all four sets they have played in their past two meetings.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Novak Djokovic (WR 3) | Nick Kyrgios (WR 40) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Champion (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021) | Quarter-Finals (2014) |
| 1st Serve % | 64.9 | 68.2 |
| Service Games Won % | 83.6 | 94.5 |
| Break Points Saved % | 65.7 | 81.3 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 55.6 | 48.1 |
| Break Points Converted % | 41 | 39.6 |
Djokovic’s clinical returning will be put to the test as he takes on the powerful and accurate serving of Kyrgios.
Playing Styles and Prediction
It has been far from easy but Djokovic is into a ninth Wimbledon final and aiming to win a fourth title in a row, Djokovic’s experience and champions qualities has once again separated him from the rest of the field.
Tough wins over Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie have displayed Djokovic’s mental, tactical and physical strength under pressure as he has once again showed why he is a complete Grand Slam champion.
After his semi-final victory Djokovic said he’s well aware of what’s on the line and spoke about his belief heading into the final:
“I don’t know how many Grand Slam opportunities to win the trophy I will still have, as I will have in few days’ time. So, of course, I’m approaching it with positive attitude and self-belief and willingness to win. There’s no doubt about it. But the experience that I have at this level, playing in the finals against someone that has never played a Grand Slam final, could be slightly in my favour.
“So I’m sure he’s going to go for it. No doubt he’s going to be aggressive. I expect him to do that. I’m going to make sure I get ready for that one and let the better player win.”
Djokovic may face his toughest challenge yet in the final as he takes on a confident and unpredictable opponent in Kyrgios, who has been up to his usual antics but at the same time is producing results.
Kyrgios’ performances against the likes of Stefanos Tsitisipas and Brandon Nakashima has proven that he is able to distract his opponents with his usual entertainment show but also match that with the consistency as well as power needed to win a Grand Slam.
Ahead of the biggest match of his professional career Kyrgios admitted he never thought he would be in a Grand Slam final and is proud of what he’s achieved so far:
“I never thought I’d be here at all, to be brutally honest with you,” Kyrgios told the press.
“Obviously when I was No. 1 junior in the world and I was playing here as a junior, I can’t give enough credit to juniors, what it did for my confidence. Being around the Grand Slams at that young age, being around some of the top players, the facility, I don’t think I would have had the breakthrough in the men’s so quickly. But I never thought that I’d be playing.
“I saw some of the professionals walking around and I’d be a junior here, and I never thought I’d be playing for the actual men’s title. I feel like it’s the pinnacle of tennis. Once you are able to raise a Grand Slam trophy, that’s like, I mean, kind of what else is there to achieve?
“So I never thought I’d be here. I’m just super proud and I’m just ready to go. I’m going to give it my all and we’ll see what happens.”
Djokovic will look to test Kyrgios’ stamina and extend the rallies as well as make Kyrgios run from all angles of the court. While the Australian will be relying on his powerful and precise serving as well as good pace and depth from the forehand. It will be interesting to see how Kyrgios handles the occasion and whether that has an effect on how he approaches the match from an attitude point of view.
If Kyrgios is dialled-in and focused early on then it could be a very challenging match for Djokovic but the Serb hasn’t lost on Centre Court since the 2013 final and as long as Djokovic plays his game to a high level then the Serb should win a 21st Grand Slam title.
Prediction: Djokovic in five sets.
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