Novak Djokovic and his family made the most of their final moments at Wimbledon this year as their children ran down an empty central court before the Serb paid tribute to the All England Club.
Djokovic won a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title against bad Australian boy Nick Kyrgios on Sunday afternoon, leading him to one of Rafael Nadal’s 22 Grand Slams.
Djokovic’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 victory also extended his remarkable unbeaten streak at center field, with his last 15,000-place loss to Andy Murray in 2013. .
But the Serb had no intention of running away after winning the title and took photos on Monday morning before having special access to the central track.
With the trophy in hand, the 35-year-old watched as children Stefan, 7, and Tara, 4, ran around the center court, showing very little indication that the final had been held less than 24 hours earlier.
After a few laps on the track, Tara climbed on Djokovic’s back and he gave her a ride on one last trip around the famous venue.
Djokovic then climbed onto the iconic Center Court balcony and posted a message to his Instagram followers.
Novak Djokovic and his family had private access to the central track Monday morning
His sons Stefan, 7, and Tara, 4, ran around the iconic venue less than 24 hours after their victory.
Djokovic turned his daughter around one last time after putting the trophy on the grass
He said, ‘Hello everyone. Wonderful Monday morning. I am very lucky to have this trophy once again.
“I’m on probably the most famous balcony in the world of tennis. A balcony where I haven’t eaten or had a cup of tea yet. I hope to be able to do so as a member in the future.
The Serb took to the iconic Wimbledon balcony to send a message to his fans
“It’s really a special place, a special club. I was just admiring and watching how, without people, the club looks more intimate and smaller. But it’s definitely the most special place in the world of tennis.
“I’m honored to be here again as the winner on Monday morning. I look forward to seeing you again next year and enjoying your day.”
Despite proving to be the best male player in the world right now, Djokovic finds himself relying on political intervention to continue his season.
It remains to be seen where he will play next. After a couple of discreet weeks where most players take the opportunity to take a break, the tour resumes in North America in late July with the hard track swing ahead of the U.S. Open. August.
But the United States and Canada still require travelers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to enter, i.e. Djokovic, who has repeatedly made it clear that he will not take the vaccine, faces another major hole in the its schedule.
“Whether or not we play any tournaments soon, I will definitely rest for the next few weeks because it has been a pretty exhausting and demanding period for me the last few months,” he said.
‘A lot of tennis, which made me very happy. Here’s what I wanted.
“Then I will hopefully wait for good news from the United States because I would love to go there. If that doesn’t happen, I have to see what the schedule will be like.”
Djokovic’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 win over Nick Kyrgios gave him his fourth straight title.
The elimination of points from the Wimbledon standings due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players means that Djokovic has dropped from three to seven in the standings, while Kyrgios has dropped from 40 to 45.
Djokovic won’t be too worried about his place in the rankings and may not play much again until the tour returns to Europe in the fall, with his place in the ATP Tour Finals virtually guaranteed thanks to his win at Wimbledon.
Earlier Monday, American tennis legend and BBC commentator John McEnroe insisted it would be “ridiculous” to be denied entry to Djokovic in America.
“These politicians are too much on the road, they did it in Australia,” the 63-year-old said.
‘Let the boy come in and play in the United States. I mean come on. This is ridiculous. You can accept to be tested. There must be a way to avoid this.
The Duchess of Cambridge hands the trophy to Djokovic in front of a packed central track
Djokovic spoke after his victory on Sunday about the emotional cost of his deportation from Australia in January, and a three-year ban on returning to the country that is automatically imposed in these scenarios means he may not be able to play a another Grand Slam until the French Open next spring.
The Serbian team has experienced everything with him and coach Goran Ivanisevic has said: “It’s very emotional. If I can say that it was this year, a tough year, especially for him, but also for us, who were near him.
“That was very important what happened to him. We all expected him after a couple of weeks: ‘Okay, forget about Australia, let’s practice again.’ It’s not happening like that. It took a long time. of time.
“For some people, they don’t recover. They’ll never play tennis. That was a big shock. It was a shock to me, and it was there. I was free. Imagine for him.
“Amazing how he recovered and how he overcame it. It’s really heroic for me because it wasn’t easy to digest everything and play tennis again.”