Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios to win his 7th Wimbledon title and his 21st grand slam putting him second on the all-time list.
The Serb recovered from going a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3) for his fourth consecutive trophy at the grasscourt major to close in on Rafa Nadal’s record 22 grand slam titles.
Djokovic also drew level with childhood idol Pete Sampras in the all-time winner’s list and is now just one shy of Swiss Roger Federer’s record eight Wimbledon titles.
After finishing 2021 one win short of a rare calendar-year Grand Slam, Djokovic’s season has not panned out exactly as he would have envisaged after being deported from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open and then losing to Nadal in the French Open quarter-finals.
Competing in a men’s record 32nd major final on a sun-bathed Centre Court, the 35-year-old was facing an unseeded opponent who had never been beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam before.
Djokovic had never beaten Kyrgios heading into the finals and that looked to be the case early on as well as the Australian broke first to take the set.
No one, however, expected it to be an easy straight-set match with Djokovic having not lost at the All England Club since retiring injured from his 2017 quarter-final against Czech Tomas Berdych.
Djokovic’s delivery went up a gear and the second set went to the defending champ.
Furious with himself, Kyrgios poured out his frustrations in a lengthy rant aimed at his box giving Djokovic the fodder he needed to win the third set.
After both players failed to create a breakpoint in the fourth set, Djokovic dominated the tiebreaker and sealed the Championship on his third match point for his 28th straight Wimbledon win when Kyrgios found the net on a return.
This could be the only grand slam Djokovic wins this year as his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 could prevent him from entering the United States to compete at the year’s final Grand Slam in New York.
