Novak Djokovic won against Australia's Nick Kyrgios to claim his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title and 21st Grand Slam.
The Serbian tennis legend played Kyrgios in a captivating match on Centre Court, winning 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-6 (7-3). Djokovic fought his way back after Kyrgios took the first set. But there was no stopping the seasoned 35-year-old on the way to his seventh Wimbledon title.
Djokovic is just one Grand Slam title behind Rafael Nadal's record of 22.
After the game, Djokovic said that Kyrgios is an "amazing talent" and that he will be back in a Grand Slam final. Djokovic added that he was "lost words for what this tournament and this trophy means to me."
Everybody stand up for @DjokerNole 🙌
🎥: @Wimbledon | #wimbledon pic.twitter.com/UQ5CkW5KBm — ATP Tour (@atptour) July 10, 2022
"It always has been and will be the most special one in my heart. It motivated me to play in my small mountain resort and I saw Pete Sampras win and I asked my mum and dad to buy me a racquet," Djokovic told TV presenter Sue Barker on Centre Court as he held the Wimbledon trophy.
"It was my first image of tennis – every single time it gets more meaningful and I'm blessed to be standing here with the trophy."
A tense game
Temperatures were high at over 30°C in London, with 15,000 spectators packed into the stadium, among them royals and celebrities.
Djokovic had joked beforehand that there would be "fireworks" – a reference to Kyrgios' sometimes explosive temperament. Kyrgios had also beaten Djokovic in both of their previous matches, though these had been played on hard courts.
Djokovic has often garnered less spectator support at Wimbledon when up against crowd favourites such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Yet the Serbian star again proved why he remains Wimbledon champion. Djokovic began extending the rallies and showed resilience that began to wear out Kyrgios.
The third set was the most even, although midway through, Kyrgios' anger management issues showed as he complained to the umpire about noise and asked for the offender to be thrown out of the stadium.
"There's no other bigger occasion and they did it again and it nearly cost me the point," he raged. "She's drunk out of her mind so kick her out. I know exactly who it is – she's the one who looks like she's had about 700 drinks."
In the next set, the pressure seemed to be getting the better of the 27-year-old Australian. Djokovic eventually gained a lead which led him to victory.
After the match, Kyrgios complemented Djokovic. "He's a bit of a god, I'm not going to lie. I thought I played well," he said, congratulating Djokovic.
What's next
Djokovic looks set to keep chasing his dream, with his focus now set on the Grand Slam record. With this match, his goal is within reach.
Kyrgios put pressure on the champion, but Djokovic came through with determination and skill. There is a lot of work to be done for the new generation of tennis players to beat the Serbian champion.
