Djokovic’s Candid Confession: Federer’s Superiority Evident in Every Element of Final Match
In the exhibition match at the All England Club four years ago, tennis legends Djokovic and Federer created a modern-day classic as they battled it out for four hours and 57 minutes, the longest Wimbledon singles final in history. Many have called it one of the greatest matches in the Open Era.
The two players battled back and forth, sharing the first two sets and a decisive set until Djokovic saved two match points at 7–8. When they were deadlocked at twelve apiece, it eventually went to a tie-breaker, which the Serbian won 7–6 (7–5), 1–6, 7–6 (7–4), 4–6, and 13–12 (7–3).
On the day, Federer defeated Djokovic in almost all statistical categories, including more winners, breaks, aces, points, and service games won, yet the Serbian was the one to take home the title.
During an interview with CBS News’s 60 Minutes, the 24-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that he was surpassed that day.
“I played that marathon match, that epic match with Roger in the Wimbledon finals in 2019,” he said to reporter Jon Wertheim.
“I won all of the sets that I played in tie-breaks, seven-six, seven-six, and 13-12. He was also the far superior player overall, as seen by the stats.
However, I prevailed in the battle. This essentially indicates that you can still prevail if you strategically select the points of the game when you are at your best and performing at your highest level.
In addition to Wimbledon, Federer has always been a public favourite at other tournaments across the world. Djokovic, on the other hand, frequently faced difficult circumstances when he faced not just the Swiss but also a number of other players, including Rafael Nadal.
He acknowledges that it is “nice” to have the crowd’s backing, even if he frequently thrives when they are against him.
“I worked in unfavourable circumstances for the majority of my career… I guess I adapted to that kind of setting really well. In terms of tennis, that kind of gets the best of me because people seem to think it is better if they don’t like me,” he remarked.
“Yet, on the other hand, I really do prefer being in a setting where I have good support.”