A Wimbledon Final for the Ages
In what should only be referred to as epic, incredible, amazing, and awe-inspiring, Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon against tennis hero Roger Federer. For anyone who watched the match, this very well could be the greatest tennis match they have or will ever witness. Move aside Stranger Things. There’s a new talk in town!
It was two giants on the court, each refusing to surrender. Federer was at his best. His footwork and position was all-time and he utilized a serve-and-volley strategy to put Djokovic on his back heels. Djokovic, not to be outdone, was also on his game. Tirelessly extending points, placing the ball near the paint and displaying unmatched stamina.
Ultimately, there had to be a winner. And after 65 games and 3 tie-breakers, Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon and ousted legendary Roger Federer. He held his ground, defended his Grand Slam championship and won his fifth Wimbledon final. In winning this Grand Slam in such dramatic fashion against a legendary opponent, Novak further placed his name into the conversation for the tennis GOAT.
Djokovic Wins Wimbledon in Record Length
As the last ball hit off of Federer’s racket, the final time of the match was an impressive 4 hours and 55 minutes long. This final broke Federer and Nadal’s 2008 Wimbledon record to become the longest Wimbledon final in men’s tennis history. Winning a classic like this is what truly exemplifies champions. The best of the best are able to grind out the longest and most difficult wins. When Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon yesterday, he showed that he has the stamina to outlast his opponent in the most extreme circumstances.
Holding off the Crowd and a Possessed Federer
Surprisingly, Novak Djokovic did not appear to be the better player for the majority of the match. Just counting games and not tie-breakers, Federer outnumbered Djokovic’s total 36 to 29. Federer also shifted his strategy to a serve-and-volley tactic and utilized his net positioning throughout the match. He forced Djokovic to pass or lob him. To his credit, Federer has a double match point in the 15th game. 40/15 against the World’s number-one ranked tennis player and the returning Wimbledon champion. However, due to both error on Federer’s part and impressive resilience by Djokovic, Djokovic rallied back and broke Federer’s serve.
Also difficult was the clear crowd advantage. It was not difficult to see that the noise of the Wimbledon audience was in favor of the 37-year-old legend, Roger Federer. Each point he won was met with raucous applause, while Djokovic was made to be the enemy. The crowd wanted Federer to win. Federer was on his game. He had the crowd. But still, Djokovic won Wimbledon.
Breaking Federer’s serve, winning three separate tie-breakers and ignoring the crowd noise cement’s Djokovic’s name in tennis history.
Record Against Nadal and Federer
Through 48 matches played, Novak Djokovic leads 26-22 against Roger Federer. In Grand Slams, like this 2019 Wimbledon Match), Djokovic leads 10-6. Even more impressive, in his five Grand Slam finals against Federer, Djokovic won four of them.
Additionally, Djokovic leads his rivalry against Rafael Nadal 28-26. Though Nadal edges Djokovic in their Grand Slam matches 9-6, they are 4-4 in Grand Slam finals.
Grand Slam Titles
Moreover, Djokovic is moving towards both Nadal’s and Federer’s Grand Slam totals. Nadal, in second, has 18 and Federer leads all men with 20. After Djokovic won Wimbledon yesterday, he moved his total up to 16. Since 2015, Djokovic has 9 Grand Slam championships.
He continues to display unbeatable stamina, beats the legends of the court, and shows that he can become the greatest tennis player of all time.
