Novak Djokovic In Position To Win 4th Straight Wimbledon, 21st Grand Slam Title Vs. Nick Kyrgios

With just one far more victory at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic can shut the gap in occupation big titles on his biggest rival, Rafael Nadal, to 22-21.

All that is standing in his way is the mercurial Nick Kyrgios, who has crushed Djokovic in their only two meetings, both of those on hardcourts, and equally 5 several years back.

Djokovic will seek out his fourth straight Wimbledon title — becoming a member of Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer in an elite club — , his seventh overall and his 21st key singles championship when he faces Kyrgios in Sunday’s championship match.

Djokovic superior to his 32nd Grand Slam final with a 4-set earn above Britain’s Cam Norrie, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, when Kyrgios acquired a walkover into the closing immediately after Nadal withdrew from their semifinal with an abdominal damage. It was the first walkover in a Wimbledon semifinal.

“Well, a single thing is for positive, there’s heading to be a good deal of fireworks emotionally from equally of us,” Djokovic said of Kyrgios with a snicker.

“It’s going to be his first Grand Slam closing, of course he’s incredibly enthusiastic and he does not have significantly to get rid of and he’s usually participating in like that. He’s taking part in so freely, he has a single of the major serves in the game. Just significant sport all round, a great deal of ability in his shots. We haven’ tplayed for some time, I by no means gained a set off him so hopefully it can be diverse this time.

“It’s yet another last for me in this article in Wimbledon, the event I love so significantly, so ideally the practical experience can get the job done in my favor.”

Complicating matters is the point that this could be Djokovic’s ultimate match in a key for some time, possibly until the 2023 French Open up.

The 35-12 months-previous Serb expects to miss the U.S. Open later on this summertime mainly because he’s unvaccinated against Covid-19 and therefore simply cannot travel to the U.S. as a foreigner, and he faces a a few-calendar year ban from the Australian Open after owning been deported forward of the match in January, although that ban could conclusion early.

That helps make the Wimbledon title all the vital in the context of his historic race with Nadal and Federer.

“He wants this title,” ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe stated on air. “He requires it to keep in arrive at of Rafael Nadal.”

Djokovic has created no solution of his desire to end atop the all-time checklist.

“It’s not a key that I’m attempting to gain as several Slams as feasible,” Djokovic, who is tied with Federer at 20 majors, has mentioned. “It’s evident that background is on the line.”

Nadal experienced won the 1st two legs of the Grand Slam and was 19- in majors in 2022 ahead of pulling out. He was trying to get to become the 1st person due to the fact Rod Laver in 1969 to earn the calendar Slam. Djokovic came within just one victory of the historic feat a yr in the past prior to losing in the U.S. Open up final to Daniil Medvedev.

Djokovic has lost the two matches with Kyrgios, but individuals were being again in 2017 and neither was at a significant. Continue to, he will be the beloved towards Kyrgios, who is actively playing the finest tennis of his occupation at 27 despite his ongoing erratic behavior.

“There is a incredibly good possibility Djokovic wins his 7th Wimbledon title, and then finishes up with the most Grand Slam titles of all of them,” seven-time key winner Mats Wilander claimed.

Off the court, Kyrgios is experiencing assault charges relevant to an incident from last December with his former girlfriend. He faces an Aug. 2 court docket date in Australia.

All eyes will be on Kyrgios to see if he tones down his act in the Wimbledon final. In his 3rd-spherical upset of No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, Kyrgios frequently cursed, insulted the umpire and at one point identified as for Tsitsipas to be disqualified soon after the Greek strike a ball towards supporters in the stands. He also hit a concerning-the-legs, less than-hand provide.

He afterwards insulted Tsitsipas in his submit-recreation press convention, saying he wasn’t favored in the locker place and that Kyrgios was a lot more popular.

He and Djokovic seem to have a mutual respect, even though.

“We [Djokovic and him] have a bit of a bromance now,” Kyrgios mentioned Friday. “I felt like I was the only participant to stand up for him with all that drama at the Australian Open up.”

Kyrgios seems to have a ton of respect for tennis’ “Big 3” of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, who are all nearer to the stop of their careers than the starting.

“We’ll hardly ever see a competitor like Rafa all over again,” he said. “You’ll by no means see someone wield a racquet like Roger so easily. You’ll by no means likely see everyone who just performs the activity so excellent as a winner than Djokovic. It really is heading to be a unhappy working day when they retire.”

Between them, Nadal and Djokovic have won 14 of the past 16 majors and Djokovic can make that 15-of-17 on Sunday.

Kyrgios, meantime, can permanently etch his name in the history guides with his initially big title and can reverse the status he has created as a supremely proficient participant who merely does not coach really hard ample or care adequate about successful to contend for big titles. He experienced by no means been past the quarterfinals of any significant right before this run.

“I you should not know if my relationship with tennis improved but I know I love to contend,” he claimed. “I’m one particular of the most aggressive people today that I know. I appreciate the win/eliminate aspect of the activity. I am completely ready for the challenge.”

He additional: “If I lift a Grand Slam trophy, remember to don’t set tension on me to get one more 1.”