As the known saying goes
"Patience is a virtue."
Novak Djokovic embodied that on Sunday. He waited for Nick Kyrgios to lose focus, resulting in a regression to his powerful serve. Most importantly, it allowed him to embrace the fact that he was undefeated on Centre Court since 2013, rising to the occasion again.
Djokovic used his steady brilliance to beat the enigma that is Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Sunday for a fourth consecutive championship at the All England Club, seventh overall there, and 21st from all Grand Slam tournaments.
After winning the second set to level the match, Djokovic accumulated 31 winners and merely eight unforced errors to finish the bout, with nearly exquisite serving to match Nick stride for stride. His opponent hung with him for the duration of the match; Djokovic proved overwhelming. They were games where Djokovic steeled himself, and Kyrgios was Nick'd up, unable to pick up the pieces. There were grudgingly moments that the Australian couldn't shake Kyrgios and began engaging in running monologues, shouting at himself or his entourage (which does not include a full-time coach), earning a warning for cursing, finding a reason to disagree with the chair umpire he fist-bumped before the match, and chucking a water bottle.
With Djokovic serving for the second set at 5-3, Kyrgios got to love-40 — a trio of break points. But Kyrgios played a couple of simple returns, and Djokovic eventually held. On serve in the third set, Nick led 40-0 but, in Novak's words," Gifted" away the game with uncanny serves and unforced errors and was worn down when Djokovic imposed his "I'll break you down" game with excruciatingly extended rallies. But for his first ever final at age 27, the 40th ranked Kyrigos represented himself well, grabbing the first set 6-4, and stayed competitive throughout the match.
His talent is unmistakable. Kyrgios possesses adverts for his preference for his style of simply being a showmen rather than a tennis player on court, his lack of temper control that has earned him ejections and suspensions, and his taste for the nightlife.
During the past two weeks alone, Kyrgios racked up $14,000 in fines — one for spitting at a heckling spectator after a first-round victory, another for cursing during a wildly vicious win against No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round — and caught backlash for wearing a red hat and sneakers before or after matches at a place where all-white clothing is mandated. Word also emerged that he is due in court next month in Australia to face an assault allegation. On Sunday, Kyrgios tried shots between his legs, hit some with his back to the net, pounded serves at up to 136 mph, and produced 30 aces. He used an underarm serve, then faked one later.
It was an individual finals matchup to culminate an abnormal championship in its 100th year.
All players representing Russia or Belarus were barred by the All England Club because of the war in Ukraine; among those banned was No. 1-ranked Daniil Medvedev, the reigning U.S. Open champion. In response, the WTA and ATP tours took the unprecedented step of revoking all ranking points from Wimbledon (Djokovic, for example, earned zero points for his title and will slide to No. 7 on Monday).
A woman born in Russia but has represented Kazakhstan for four years, Elena Rybakina, won the women's trophy Saturday with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ons Jabeur. Moreover, 20-time grand slam champions Rodger Federer missed the tournament for the first time since the late 1990s and is unrated for the first time since September of 1997, having not played since losing in the elite eight of last year's Wimbledon due to a knee injury.
However, his royalty 40-year- old did show when the tournament honored the past champions to punctuate the centennial celebration and brought the house down when he walked out in his suit on the court in front of his adoring fans on a lawn he's won a record eight times in his career.
Alexander Zverev is still on I.R. after his tragic injury in the semifinals of this year's French Open.
Three of the top 20 seeded men, including 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini, pulled out of Wimbledon after testing positive for COVID-19, while Rafael Nadal withdrew with a torn abdominal muscle before he was supposed to face Kyrgios in the semifinals.
On Sunday, Djokovic held the trophy, as he has so often and has deserved, especially after what he went through earlier and could possibly endure later this year.
As of now, Djokovic will not be able to try to pull even with the 22-time grand slam champion Nadal by winning the U.S. Open, which begins in late August: The 35-year-old Serbian can't enter the United States because he decided not to get any shots against COVID-19, the same reason Djokovic missed the Australian Open in January. But we do know one thing. He will keep coming back and coming back until there's simply no debate left to be had, and he's the greatest tennis legend of them all. His resilience, endurance, persistence, and patience are what have allowed him to reach the top of the summit yet again.
He trailed in the final, just as he had in the quarterfinals (when he was two sets down against Janik Sinner ) and the semifinals against Cam Norrie on the NO 9 seed's home soil. Just as he had in last year's French Open when he rallied down two sets against Tstipas and the 2021 Wimbledon final against Bertini. Just as he had in the 2019 final at the All England Club, facing two championship points against Federer.
He fought for the opportunity to take over tennis each time and has his Wimbledon winning streak at 28 straight matches.
Novak said he will take a couple weeks' vacation after the parade they threw for him back in Serbia and will soak in the win while hoping the U.S. government removes the vaccine mandate so he can go for #22 under the bright lights of NYC and complete some unfinished business after falling in the finals to Medvedev last year.
All gas, No djokes.
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