LONDON - Novak Djokovic won his 20th Grand Slam title on Sunday, leveling Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal to beat Matteo Berrettini 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the Wimbledon final.
Top-ranked Djokovic earned his third consecutive championship & sixth overall at the All England Club.
He added that nine titles at the Australian Open, three at the US Open & two at the French Open call for the greatest number of titles won by a man in tennis history to equal his two rivals.
"I have a big tribute to Rafa & Roger," Djokovic said during a post-match interview. "They are legends of our game & they are the two most important players I have faced in my career. I think they are the reason I am where I am today. They have helped me realize what I need to do To improve, to be strong mentally, physically, strategically."
The 34-year-old from Serbia is now the only player since 1969 to have won the first three major tournaments in a season. He could be aiming for a calendar-year Grand Slam at the US Open starting August 30 - the last time an individual had done it 52 years ago by Rod Laver.
"I certainly could have imagined that happening," Djokovic said. "I'm definitely going to give it a shot. I'm in great form & obviously playing well. Playing my best tennis at Grand Slams is my top priority right now at this stage of my career. So let's go Let's keep going."
Federer, who lost this year's Wimbledon quarter-finals, & Nadal, who pulled out before the tournament, both encouraged Djokovic by tweeting.
Congrats Novak on your 20th major. I'm proud to have the opportunity to play in a special era of tennis champions. Wonderful performance, well done!
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) July 11, 2021
Congrats @DjokerNole on this amazing achievement. 20 Grand Slam titles is huge and it is amazing that we are 3 players tied on this. Well done and, again, congrats to you and your team for this!@Wimbledon
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) July 11, 2021
It was Djokovic's 30th major final - among men, only Federer has played more with 31 - & the first for Italy's 25-year-old Berrettini, who was seeded No.
"Hopefully," said Berrettini, "it won't be my last."
It was a big game day in London for the Italians: their national football team faced England in the European Championship final that night at Wembley Stadium.
With Marija Siak, the first female chair umpire for a men's final in a tournament that began in 1877, play began on center court as the sun made a rare appearance during the fortnight, the sky was visible among the clouds.
The opening game showed signs of acumen on both sides, but especially Djokovic, whose pair of double faults contributed to a half-dozen combined unforced errors, compared to zero winners for either. He faced a break point but held himself up & remained there & , as is the case with every set, it was Djokovic who took the lead on Berrettini's quick serve.
Berrettini came in with a tournament-high 101 aces, & that's where his game is built: free points from the serve & quick-strike forehand that earned him the nickname "Hammer."
Those powerful strokes sent the line judges in the opposite direction to avoid damage to their heads. Djokovic would sometimes cover himself, bend over & raise his racket as if it were a shield aimed back at his body.
Not many opponents return at 137 mph to win the point at the end, but Djokovic did it at least twice. And the big groundstrokes that the 6-foot-5, barrel-chested Berrettini could outrun most other players kept trailing Djokovic's racquet.
This is what Djokovic does: he forces enemies to work so hard to win every point, let alone one game, one set, one match.
In fact, it could have ended too early: Djokovic took a 4-1 lead in the first set, 4-0 in the second, & 3-1 in the third. But in the first, in particular, he stumbled in ways he rarely did, wasting a set point & breaking on serve for it at 5-3.
In the ensuing tiebreaker, they were tied at 3-all, but Berrettini won three of the next four points with forehands, closing it with 138 mph.
He fumbled for change, & many people throughout the household of about 15,000 rose to celebrate with him.
"Ma-tet-o!" K Mantra got out early in the third set. Soon, others responded with Djokovic's nickname, "No-lay!" Later in the set, Djokovic held his racket to his ear & pushed for more support.
But Djokovic isn't a fighter then nothing - he turned things around by two sets in last month's French Open final - & he worked his way back into this one, which ended with Djokovic on his back on the court, whose The basis was the cheer of the crowd.
There were some magical moments, points in which both of them had talent.
On one hand, Berrettini somehow came up with a back-to-the-net, middle-of-the-legs lob that Djokovic somehow tracked to shock the reaction with his back on the court, but it ended in the net. done.
On second, which lasted 15 strokes, Djokovic slipped into a keep-the-point-going defensive backhand &, when Berrettini responded with a drop shot, sprinted all the way to a winner. Djokovic raised his index finger - as if to remind everyone, "I'm No. 1!" - And Berrettini turned his racket over, grabbed it, & smiled.
What else could he do?
There seems to be nothing anyone can do against Djokovic.
He has collected eight of the last 12 major trophies - all since the age of 30, the most by anyone after that age.
And to all the questions in recent years about when the younger generation will move on & halt the progress of the Big Three, it turns out that Djokovic is the only one holding the kids.
He is leading 21-0 in this year's three majors. In the final, he defeated a trio of 20-somethings ranked in the top 10 of the ATP: Daniil Medvedev, 25, on the hard courts of the Australian Open, & Stefanos Tsitsipas, 22, on the red clay of the French Open. And now beretini on the grass.
"He's writing the history of this sport," Berrettini said, "so he deserves all the credit."
On Sunday, Djokovic made only 21 unforced errors, accumulating 21 winners. He restricted Berrettini to 16 aces.
Djokovic's comeback has been the best of anyone so far. His two-handed backhand is one such threat. His ability to anticipate & track shots from the other side of the net frustrates opponents. An excellent foundational magician, he can play at the nets as well: Djokovic won 34 of 48 points in the lead on Sunday, including 7-for-9 when he served & volleyed.
For all that, though, maybe what sets him apart is a quality statistic that can't be tracked.
When moments are most critical, tension & heart rate accelerate. Mind & body can be closed. It is simply human nature. Djokovic is somehow impervious to these kinds of things. Or at least plays like he is.
Maybe this is all his experience in such situations. Maybe it's all accumulated knowledge.
Maybe it's some remarkable combination of patience & guts - to go along with all your deep talent & tireless work.
It should not be forgotten that Djokovic faced two championship points against Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final. Or that he lost two matches at the French Open by two sets & came back to win five, including the final.
So far, on top of a decade of successes, it has been Djokovic's year of dominance.
"The last 10 years have been an incredible journey," he said, "it's not stopping here."