The Serbian, who has won his last 28 games at Wimbledon, adds his twenty-first major and goes for Nadal. Time does not pass for Rafael Nadal and for Novak Djokovic either. The heads-up to be the best tennis player in history has had the Serbian as the winner at Wimbledon.
Novak, at 35 years and 49 days, has become today, after beating Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and 7-6 (3), the second longest-serving champion of the tournament in the Open Era behind Roger Federer. He was so happy that he had no choice but to send love from the center of the track.
And he is already ahead of the Swiss in the ranking of “Grand Slam” tittles with 21. And he encourages Nadal, with 22. Similarly, he is the fourth tennis player capable of chaining four crowns in the British great. Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Federer had done it before.
Wimbledon´s seven gold medallists also tie him with Sampras and William Renshaw. Only Roger won more.
The first two games were a foretaste of the spectacle to come. Djokovic subtracted serves at 209 kilometres per hour as if nothing had happened and Kyrgios connected the second serves at over 200 km/h and misled his rival by putting the ball into play from below.
The stands did not hide their favouritism for the tennis player from Canberra, the rebel with or without a cause on the men´s circuit. The equality remained until the “aussie” made the “break” in the fifth game. It was with a gift from his opponent in the form of a double fault. When Kyrgios starts to play for real, the first reflection is how much he could have earned if he had been a professional like the members of the “Big Three”.
The sun forced the two protagonists to play with a cap. Novak, with all the pressure of history, was especially erratic with his serve and backhand shots.
Djokovic had lost two first set in the last two matches. But Nick Kyrgios had more weapons for victory than Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie. The closest thing to tennis perfection on grass, with Roger Federer out of competition, is Kyrgios.
The partial advantage of the Australian was applauded in the tennis cathedral as if Norrie or Andy Murray were on the court. Errors are paid more on grass and “Nole” had weakened on serve.
Given the level of Nick it is difficult to think that Rafael Nadal would have put him in trouble with seven-millimeter tear in the abdominal.
The Balkan tennis player celebrated his good points looking at his bench. It was the only point he could look at because at all other angles most were going against him. But Djokovic is so good that he does not need nice things whispered in his ear.
Jorge Barbero
