He is now one grand slam title behind Rafael Nadal’s all-time record of 22. Afterwards, Djokovic — who said Kyrgios is an “amazing talent” and will return to a grand slam final — said he was “at a loss for words about what this tournament and this trophy means to me.” “It always was and always will be the most special thing in my heart. It motivated me to play in my little mountain resort and I saw Pete Sampras win and I asked my mum and dad to buy me a racquet,” he told Sue Barker. on Center Court which holds the Wimbledon trophy. “It was my first glimpse of tennis — every time it becomes more important and I’m blessed to be here with the trophy. “It’s the most special tennis court in the world and when you walk on the untouched grass and everything is so focused on the tennis, the ball and the racket of the players and it has the most recognition in the world.”
Fireworks
It was the battle of one of the greatest against tennis fans. And under the hot London sun, with not a cloud in sight, it did not disappoint. Despite playing in his first grand slam final, Kyrgios — who advanced to the final after Nadal withdrew through injury — showed absolutely no sign of being overwhelmed. Against the world No. 3, his powerful serve was booming from the start. The pair exchanged fast-paced rallies, with both displaying excellent accuracy and ability to keep each other on their toes. In the middle of the first set, Kyrgios made the first big break. The Australian broke Djokovic’s serve and, on the back of his almost unstoppable serve, took the first set to settle his nerves — if he actually had any. Djokovic, playing in his 32nd grand slam final, has often been the underdog when playing at Wimbledon, often facing Nadal and Roger Federer, and it was the same in Sunday’s final. Kyrgios’ unique style of play, including the occasional chase into his box, won over the watching crowds and it was the same in the final, with the 27-year-old receiving much of the support. However, in the second set, Djokovic slowly but surely found his feet. He was able to extend the rallies, using his skill and stamina to stay in the game and eventually wear down Kyrgios. And in the fourth game of the set, he broke Kyrgios to take a two-game lead — the first time he had broken the Australian in their three meetings. Kyrgios fought to stay in the set, winning three break points as Djokovic served to level the sets. But despite some complaining in the direction of his box, he was unable to convert any of them as Djokovic brought the game back to parity. The third set was the most even so far. With both players serving strongly, they showed great quality as they traded games. Midway through the set, Kyrgios began to show some of the heartbreak that has plagued his career. Some noise from the crowd between the first and second serves causes him to complain to the umpire. After the game was called off, the television microphone picked up Kyrgios asking the referee to throw the offender out. “There is no greater occasion and they did it again and it almost cost me the spot,” he fumed. “She’s drunk out of her mind, so kick her out. I know exactly who she is — she’s the one who looks like she’s had about 700 drinks.” In the next game, the pressure began to seem to tell on Kyrgios as Djokovic broke the 27-year-old, causing him to hit in the direction of his box in the break between games. And, serving for the set, Djokovic made no mistake, coming back from a set down to take the lead. With the end in sight, Djokovic locked up and began turning the screw. But despite being on new ground, Kyrgios remained steadfast. Nothing could separate the pair as they went back and forth, eventually needing a tie break to decide whether Kyrgios could force a final set or Djokovic would once again get his hands on the famous trophy. In the most high-pressure situation of the match to date, Djokovic’s experience showed as he raced to a big lead, never relinquishing it as he claimed a remarkable seventh Wimbledon title. Afterwards, Kyrgios was full of praise for Djokovic, despite their past differences, calling him “a bit of a god”. However, when asked if winning his first grand slam final had left him hungry for more, Kyrgios was unequivocal. “Absolutely not! I’m so tired honestly. Myself, my team, we’re all exhausted. We’ve played so much tennis,” she told Sue Barker on Center Court. “I’m very happy with this result and maybe one day I’ll be here again, but I don’t know about that.”
