Fifteen days ago, few people would have predicted that divisive Australian star Nick Kyrgios would be the man who would oppose between Novak Djokovic and a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title.
Key points:
- The No. 1 in the Serbian world says Kyrgios is “a very complete player”
- Djokovic has faced the Australian twice in his career, losing both
- The 35-year-old wants to expand his Grand Slam titles to 21
Djokovic himself, however, is not surprised that Kyrgios is waiting on the other side of the net for the men’s singles final.
Serbia’s first seed reserved his eighth Wimbledon final coming from a set against Britain’s Cameron Norrie on Saturday, while non-seeded Kyrgios benefited from a step after the 22-time Spanish Grand Champion Slam Rafael Nadal will retire from his injured semifinal.
Djokovic has only faced Kyrgios twice in his career, losing twice against him in 2017. So while he will be a favorite to claim a seventh Wimbledon crown, he knows exactly how dangerous the unpredictable number can be. 40 of the Kyrgios world.
“In a way, it’s a surprise because [of] his ranking, so maybe there aren’t too many people giving him great chances to reach the final, ”Djokovic told reporters after beating Norrie in four sets to extend his winning streak at Wimbledon to 27 games.
“But I think that among us, the players, we always know how dangerous it is, especially on the pitch, for his game, for his attitude on the court, for his confidence, to do it, to be a very complete player. .
“If you look at his career, the best tennis he’s ever played is against the best. That’s why we all respect him, because we know what he can do.
“So I’m not surprised it’s there either.”
Loading
Kyrgios, who has been fined twice during this year’s championships and his behavior polarizes opinion like no other player, remarked this week that many people would be upset about his success at Wimbledon.
Djokovic is not one of them.
“Honestly, as a tennis fan, I’m glad he’s in the final because he has a lot of talent,” said Djokovic, who has had a somewhat conflicted relationship with the Australian over the years.
“Everyone expected great things from him.
“Then we know what happened for many years with him mentally, emotionally. On and off the track, a lot of different things that distract him and he wasn’t able to achieve that consistency.
“For the quality player he is, this is where he should be and he deserves to be.”
This time last year, Djokovic was on the verge of his sixth Wimbledon title and seemed ready not only for a one-year slam, but also to break the Grand Slam title record.
Twelve months later, the 35-year-old is trapped at 20, two at Christmas. He knows that his chances of beating the Spanish will decrease as the tournaments go on.
“I’m aware of what’s at stake. I don’t know how many chances of winning the trophy I’ll still have.”
The big question everyone is asking is: How will Kyrgios, the first Australian to reach a major final in 17 years, manage the most important match of his career?
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. Listening time: 3 minutes 4 seconds 3 m 4 s
“Playing against someone who has never played a Grand Slam final could be slightly in my favor,” Djokovic said.
“But at the same time, knowing who he is and how he does tennis and his attitude on the court, he doesn’t seem to drop much pressure. He turns off the lights every time he goes out on the court.”
Reuters
Posted 1 hour, 1 hour ago, Friday, July 8, 2022 at 8:55 PM, updated 1 hour, 1 hour ago, Friday, July 8, 2022 at 9:11 PM