Djokovic wins Wimbledon match in front of Federer

"I think this is the first time I've won a match with Federer in the stands. I'm glad to have broken the curse.”

Novak Djokovic (38, Serbia), currently ranked No. 6 in the world, pulled off a dramatic comeback in front of his former rival Roger Federer (44, Switzerland), who watched from the stands. On July 8, Djokovic defeated Alex de Minaur (26, Australia), ranked No. 11, in the Wimbledon men’s singles round of 16 by a score of 3-1 (1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4).

With Federer, the record holder for most Wimbledon men’s singles titles (eight), in attendance, Djokovic trailed 1-4 in the fourth set but rallied to win five straight games and seal the match. Afterward, pointing toward Federer in the crowd, Djokovic quipped, “Sometimes I wish I had that gentleman’s serve-and-volley style or that smooth touch, but, well, that’s my game. I have to run,” drawing applause from the audience.

Though Djokovic showed deference to Federer as a spectator, their head-to-head on the court told a different story. Djokovic defeated Federer in all three of their Wimbledon finals matchups (2014, 2015, and 2019) and leads their overall rivalry with 27 wins to 23.

With the latest victory, Djokovic notched his 101st Wimbledon win, inching closer to Federer’s all-time tournament record of 105. Djokovic also surpasses Federer in career Grand Slam titles with 24 to Federer’s 20. If Djokovic wins this year’s Wimbledon, he will hold the all-time record for most Grand Slam singles titles across both men’s and women’s competitions.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com