Nick Kyrgios made a praise-worthy effort, but not even the talented 27-year-old player managed to unseat Novak Djokovic from his Wimbledon throne. Djokovic returned from one set deficit in the finals match of the 2022 tournament to beat Kyrgios in four sets and claim his seventh Wimbledon title and 21st career Grand Slam.
Djokovic had a habit of starting matches slowly during this year’s Wimbledon run, and it was more of the same against first-time Grand Slam finalist Kyrgios. The Australian took the first set by staying strong on his serve and taking advantage of the one break chance Djokovic gave him. However, it turned out that this wasn’t a foreshadowing of a big upset.
Instead, Djokovic, as he always does, tighten up his game and rose to the occasion. At the biggest moment of the match, he would routinely show bigger mental strength than Kyrgios. This included saving three break points while serving for the second set and breaking Kyrgios in the third set at 4-4.
The fourth set was the biggest nail-biter, heading to a tie-break, but at that point, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Djokovic would take it all. He raced to a 6-1 lead and then patiently weathered Kyrgios’ comeback attempt to take it all.
By beating Kyrgios, Djokovic extended his unbeaten run at Wimbledon to 28 matches. He has won the past four tournaments, and his seven Wimbledon titles trail only Roger Federer, who has eight.
“I’ve said it many times, this tournament is extra special for me because it has been the first tournament I ever watched as a kid that got me to start playing tennis,” said Djokovic. “The more you win, it’s logical the more confident, the more comfortable you feel next time you step out on the court. So the run keeps going and I feel very connected with this court and this tournament, without a doubt.”
