Novak Djokovic has regained the taste for victory: a year after his last Grand Slam title, the Serb won his seventh Wimbledon tournament on Sunday, dominating a very lively Nick Kyrgios, and thus added to his record a 21e Grand Slam trophy.
“I no longer have the words to say what this tournament and this trophy represent for me”, commented the 35-year-old Serb a few minutes after beating Kyrgios (40e world) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
“It has always been the most important tournament in my heart. It was this tournament that made me want to play, when I saw Pete Sampras win. That’s when I asked my parents to buy me a racket,” recalled the world number three.
Winner of the last four editions of the Major on grass, he thus returns to a length of the record of 22 Grand Slam trophies held by Rafael Nadal. And he now has one more than Roger Federer (20).
“It’s a bit of a god, without lying,” said Kyrgios in his very first words, he who was playing his first Grand Slam final at 27.
From there to want to play more? ” No way ! retorted the whimsical Australian. I’m so exhausted… I’m very happy with this result and maybe one day I’ll come back, but that, I don’t know. »
His winner of the day, however, assured him: “You will not only come back to Wimbledon, but in the final. »
With this seventh title on the London turf, Djokovic equals his idol Sampras and finds himself one length behind Roger Federer’s men’s record. The absolute women’s record is held by Martina Navratilova, who has won the tournament nine times.
He also equals Sampras with four consecutive Wimbledon titles. Only Björn Borg and Roger Federer have lined up five. He also signed his 28e winning match in a row at the All England Lawn Tennis Club where only Pete Sampras (31), Roger Federer (40) and Björn Borg (41) have done better.
Djokovic also recorded his 86e victory, but still remains at a distance from the most prolific Federer (105).
Unlike Djokovic, who has been piling up victories and records for years, Kyrgios only managed this year, at Wimbledon, to let his brilliant tennis speak for itself, so often stifled by his escapades.
“You have shown during this tournament that you deserve the best, especially on this surface,” the Serb assured him.
The match promised to be electric between two players who didn’t like each other… until then.
But for some time, relations had warmed up: Kyrgios had even offered Djokovic “to go to a club to have fun” on Sunday evening after the final, and the Serb had made a counter-proposal by advancing a dinner at the restaurant where “the winner will pay”.
“That’s why he lost!” joked Djokovic after the match.
Instead of taking place in a tense and unhealthy atmosphere like the Kyrgios-Tsitsipas third round, the final was played in a good spirit, the Australian having mastered his nerves. The two men put on a high-level show for three hours, repeatedly provoking ovations from the public to crack the walls of the venerable Center Court, which was celebrating its centenary during this edition.
And even if Djokovic took the match in hand from the second set, the loss of the first had convinced his opponent and the public that there could be a real good duel.
While the newspaper Mail on Sunday wondered Sunday morning “who would be booed the most” of the two players generally little appreciated by the Wimbledon public, it was on the contrary shared encouragement and balanced expressions of admiration that accompanied the two men throughout the meeting.
“I respect you a lot, you have an incredible talent and now everything is falling into place for you,” predicted Djokovic to his 27-year-old opponent, who had only played two Major quarter-finals so far ( Wimbledon 2014 for his first participation and Australian Open 2015).
“I would never have imagined saying so many nice things to you given our relationship…” concluded the Serb, laughing.