In a match that made history on multiple levels, Novak Djokovic showed that while Roger Federer may be the GOAT, he is the current king.
The world No. 1 won his fifth Wimbledon title Sunday, outlasting his longtime rival 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 13-12 (7-3) in an epic heavyweight duel that completely captivated fans, royals and celebrities who flocked to the most hallowed grounds in tennis and produced the first tiebreaker to decide a Wimbledon title in the championship’s history.
“I think this was if not the most exciting thrilling finals I’ve ever been a part of then definitely top two or three of my career against one of the greatest players of all time,” Djokovic said in a BBC interview on Centre Court. “When I was a boy, 4-5 years old growing up and dreaming to be a tennis player one day, this was always the tournament for me. I used to make trophies out of different materials in my room.”
To record Grand Slam title No. 16, the 32-year-old had to beat the best man ever to play at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club and arguably the best ever to pick up a racket. But the Serbia native has had Federer’s number recently, winning for the ninth time in their last 11 matches. Djokovic leads their all-time head-to-head series 26-22.
Federer was aiming to win his ninth Wimbledon crown and his 21st major and to become the oldest man (37 years, 340 days) in the Open era to win a Grand Slam singles title. Instead, it was Djokovic who made history as the first man in the Open era over age 30 to successfully defend a Wimbledon title.
It was a great match,” Federer said in his post-match interview with the BBC “It was long. It had everything. I had my chances, certainly. … Novak was great. Congratulations, man, that was amazing. Well done.
“I hope I give some other people a chance to believe at 37 it’s not over yet. I feel great. Obviously it’s going to take some time to recover.”
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Source: USA Today
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