Williams stunned by Kerber
as if he had walked off court and straight through the showers in the locker room. And, in sticky, sweltering conditions under the Centre Court roof, this raging bull was off and running.
In the next game he launched an all-out attack on the Djokovic serve, opening up two break points of his own then forcing the Serb to dump a forehand into the net and open up a 2- 0 lead.
Nadal secured a second break in the eighth game of the set and when he did, Djokovic reacted in bl ind fur y, hammering the frame of his racquet repeatedly into the sole of his shoe.
He then blew three break points in the very next game as Nadal levelled things up at two seats each.
That Djokovic was able to regain his composure in time for the deciding set was a marvel in itself. There were moments when it seemed as if he was in danger of descending into the darkest of places.
Like in the 14th game of this shoot-out when he began screaming and bawling at himself under the Royal Box as Nadal held his serve to tie it up at 7-7.
In a blink of an eye he found himself facing three break points in the very next game and it seemed at that moment Nadal was on the brink. But somehow Djokovic resisted, regrouped and refocused to grind his old rival down.
The No.12 seed said afterwards: “It’s an emotional moment for me because it’s been a long 15 months. I have been trying to overcome different obstacles so to be where I am at the moment is satisfying.
“When you’re playing against your greatest rival it’s quite intense. There’s a lot of emotions in play. A lot is at stake and you feel it.
“You try to keep your emotions in check but sometimes you lose control. The match is long so you have time to bounce back.
“That’s what happened today. A couple of times I lost my cool, then I lost my serve, then a set.
“Nadal is who he is because he knows how to use those momentums. When he sees the opportunity he seizes it. That’s why this match was extraordinary from every point of view. I’m incredibly proud to have overcome it.”
These two old rivals have accumulated 29 Grand Slam titles between them yet they remain as hungry as ever for success. This was the 52nd time Djokovic has traded blows with Nadal over the years but they may never have served up anything more spectacular.
Nadal said: “Being honest I haven’t had the time to analyse where this one ranks. I don’t even remember all of our matches. I just know it’s been a great match – a fantastic level of tennis from both of us.
“I wasn’t a spectator but I think we put on a great show for the fans. Of course, I’m not happy with the final result but I am happy about being part of such a great match.
“Today I was playing against one of the best players in the history of tennis and he would probably say the same thing.
“We respect one another because we have come up against each other so many times in so many important occasions. We’ve played at the greatest stadiums and at the highest level. We have shared a lot of very big moments on court.
“It’s a great rivalry. Today was just another battle that stays there forever.” contest was struck by Williams at 4.16pm, over two hours later than normal, following the conclusion of the men’s semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
But just an hour and five minutes later Kerber was celebrating a 6-3 6-3 victory and her first ever Wimbledon title.
The 30-year-old said: “It’s just a dream come true.
“I knew I had to play my best tennis against a champion like Serena. It’s always an honour to share a court with her.”
With the Duchesses of Sussex and Cambridge in the Royal Box and Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton and Anna Wintour among those supporting Williams, the stage seemed set for sport’s most famous mother to write another remarkable chapter.
But in a rematch of the 2016 final there was no doubt who was the better player as Kerber became the first German singles champion at Wimbledon since legend Steffi Graf in 1996.
Williams was playing her first Slam final since the 2017 Australian Open, which she won while two months pregnant.
And chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles success, the 36-year-old American was close to tears at the end.
She said: “It was such an amazing tournament for me. I was really happy to get this far.
“It’s obviously disappointing but I can’t be disappointed. I have so much to look forward to.”
Williams said of Kerber: “She’s an incredible person and a good friend so I’m really happy for her.”