Special moment Djokovic beats Anderson to claim fourth Wimbledon title – then three-year-old son steals the show
Straight-sets victory seals Serb’s comeback Anderson hit by nerves and unforced errors
As tennis broadcaster Mary Carillo put it last week, there are comebacks, and then there are come-all-the-way-backs. By seizing yesterday’s Wimbledon final in straight sets, Novak Djokovic put himself firmly in the second camp.
Two years and five weeks ago, Djokovic completed arguably the greatest feat of Open era tennis by taking a fourth straight major title in Paris. In the era of the Big Four, this was such an absurd achievement that it literally boggled our minds, as if he had just eaten a car.
But he paid for his supremacy. Twelve months of absolute rule took so much out of Djokovic that he has been recovering ever since, both mentally and physically. Oddly, it turns out to be the grass – once his weakest surface – that has brought him back to himself.
Djokovic has played only three finals on the world tour in the past 14 months. He won Eastbourne last year, was runner-up at Queen’s three weeks ago and yesterday lifted a fourth title on Centre Court.
As he ascends the ladder of Open-era Wimbledon champions, now standing behind only Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg, anyone would think he came from Sussex rather than Serbia.
Despite his heavy presence on the SW19 honours board, Djokovic found himself battling the crowd again yesterday. Everyone knew Kevin Anderson was coming in with the equivalent of a weighted rucksack on his back after that daft 6hr 36min semi-final against John Isner. A blow-out defeat seemed so predictable that every small Anderson victory was greeted as if he had just performed a backflip.
The first two sets lived down to expectations. Anderson coughed up 25 unforced errors and dropped serve four times in eight attempts. (Bear in mind he had been broken only twice in the entire Isner epic.) “Of course, my body didn’t feel great,” he said afterwards, “but I was definitely quite nervous too.” Harsh as it might seem, the early debate around the grounds centred on the question of where this match might rank among the worst Wimbledon finals. Somewhere between Sampras-pioline (1997) and Hewittnalbandian (2002) was the consen--
sus, although last year’s Federer-cilic let-down was hardly much better.
There is room for debate here among the tennis authorities. With each passing slam, it feels as if the attrition factor of best-of-five-set tennis is leaving more players handicapped for what should be the showpiece matches. Tickets for yesterday’s final started at more than £200 a pop – a sum for which one might hope to watch two fully functioning athletes.
Happily, though, the third set turned into a proper battle. Anderson had shaken off his early butterflies by now, and warmed up his
‘I was visualising him coming to the stands, cherishing this moment with my wife and me’
ravaged body with the help of an elbow massage from the trainer. As the breaks of serve dried up, Djokovic grew a little anxious himself, committing three double faults in a single service game at 4-5.
He even had to fend off five set points, and when a miscued forehand nearly flew long on the first of these, the crowd shrieked in excitement. Djokovic was unimpressed, barking “Tell them to shut the f--up” at chair umpire James Keothavong. Soon after, he slid a forehand passing shot up the line and turned to a group who had been giving him gyp, saying: “You, you” and blowing them air kisses.
At times during this tournament, Djokovic has played up to his antihero status, using fans’ negativity as fuel. After that little flashpoint, he regained his former poise, and Anderson was left with few options. If Anderson played from the baseline, his groundstrokes broke down first. If he came forward, he was either passed or left picking the ball up off his bootlaces. Eventually, he missed a return to complete his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 defeat.
Djokovic did not explode in exultation. Instead he squatted down on his haunches, apparently lost in reflection, before strolling to the net for the handshake. Then came two personal traditions: the chewing of a piece of Centre Court’s hallowed turf, followed by his trademark “Wonderbra” celebration, in which he cups his hands underneath his pectorals and then thrusts them towards the crowd.
One heart-warming surprise remained, as Djokovic’s three-yearold son Stefan ran into his mother’s arms in the player box and yelled “Papa! Papa!”
Asked about this moment in the interview room, Djokovic said: “It was one of the biggest motivations I’ve had for Wimbledon this year. I was visualising, imagining this moment of him coming to the stands, cherishing this moment with my wife and me and everyone.
“He’s under five years old, and you’re not allowed if under five to be present. He was not there till the very moment when I was walking to get an interview [with Sue Barker]. He walked in. So that was just a moment that I will carry inside of my heart forever.”
Only 40 days ago, in Paris, Djokovic stumbled off court after his quarter-final exit at the hands of the unheralded Marco Cecchinato in a towering rage. “I don’t know if I’m going to play on the grass,” he told reporters in a stormy press conference.
As of this morning, he will surely be glad he did.