If only the ace on his second serve against Novak Djokovic with an underarm follow up at the beginning of the first set could have been the Nick Kyrgios story of Wimbledon.
Against the now seven-time winner that would have been farfetched, iron man Djokovic falling to a player who wore his frailties on his sleeve for the entire two weeks. Instead Djokovic picked himself up and went into a kind of lockdown only he can do against the power serving of Kyrgios.
In the end Djokovic’s soaring intensity and ability to return serves turned the match from a set down to a win over four 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) and surpass Roger Federer with 21 Grand Slam wins and sit just one short of Rafa Nadal’s 22.
Djokovic also ties with American Peter Sampras with seven titles and is one championship away from Federer’s record of eight wins.
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“He’s just really composed. It’s weird,” said Kyrgios. “I felt like he didn’t do anything amazing today. He returned obviously the way he returns. I feel like he’s just a great returner. But he was just so composed. That’s what I was just thinking to myself.
“In big moments, it just felt like he was never rattled. I feel like that’s his greatest strength, he just never looks rattled. He just looks completely within himself the whole time.”
These days Djokovic needs every opportunity. There are questions over whether, unvaccinated, he will be allowed into the US for the Open next month. He has said he will not take the vaccine.
That would give Nadal another chance to extend his lead as he did at the Australian Open this year when Djokovic was deported. That will become an issue again as the deportation came with a three-year ban.
The winning of the final took root in the third set as the side of the Kyrgios people came to see raged round Centre court. With Kyrgios serving at 4-all, 40-love, he again let a seemingly sealed game get away.
There Djokovic, who won the tournament in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (it was not played in 2020), took control of the final as the focus of Kyrgios began to waver.
Burning the ears of the Royal Box where eight-year-old Prince George sat with his parents, Kyrgios reeled off a screed of profanities as he dropped serve to go 5-4 down and turned to his own team.
“Do you not f**king care or what,” he screamed at them. Before that the signs were showing when at the third set change over and leading 3-2 he was heard complaining to the umpire about a spectator, who he wanted removed.
“She’s drunk out of her mind in the front row and comes in in the middle of the game,” he shouted before he explained afterwards.
“I’m playing the Wimbledon final against probably one of the best players of all time. I don’t need someone absolutely smashed talking to me point in, point out,” he said.
It was then Djokovic served for the set 6-4 to take a commanding 2-1 lead. After that Kyrgios couldn’t reclaim the calm of almost perfect 31 minutes of the first set, when he was winning 77 per cent of his first serves.
Djokovic broke in the second set for 3-1 which sparked off more Kyrgios profanities directed at his team. From there on, although he threatened, he couldn’t get into the Djokovic serve again. With the fourth set tiebreak spiralling to 6-1 for Djokovic, there was no way back.
Kyrgios left thinking of what could have been in his best Grand Slam showing.
“Today I felt like it was two completely different players. I’m not supposed to be a Wimbledon finalist, like where I’m from, everything I’ve been through. Like, I just feel ridiculous to be here talking as a Wimbledon finalist,” he said
“I’m honoured to go out there and battle with the best. Like, this is just the example, like, anything’s possible really. Someone like me able to go out there and give Novak Djokovic, keep him out there for three hours in a Wimbledon final.
“I look back at it and I’m just like, How am I here? How am I here? You know, it’s pretty cool.”
