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LONDON – Chasing. It seems that Novak Djokovic did it since he was an inexperienced teenager, still fighting for the elusive rewards of the golden age of male tennis: the respect of his peers and the affection from an audience that seemed to only look at Roger Federer. and Rafael Nadal.
He pursued these two men in the thickets and valleys of the Grand Slam, a member of the Big Three but still a precious step back.
After Sunday at Wimbledon, Djokovic does not pursue any more.
He earned a decisive victory in his career that gives him equal status with the twin titans of the time, Federer and Nadal. Djokovic completed it by winning his 16th Grand Slam title, scoring two points and defeating Federer in a historic five-set final: 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3).
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This was the first Wimbledon final to be decided by a tie breaker at 12-all in the last set. Even without this distinction, it will be compared to the match generally recognized as the greatest match of all time, the 2008 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal, won by Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6 -7 (8), 9-7.
"This one is perhaps simpler, in some ways, because we did not have a rain delay, we did not have any night and all the rest," Federer said. next, comparing the two finals. "But of course, an epic end, so close, so many moments … Yeah, of course, there are similarities, I'm the loser of both times, so that's the only similarity I see."
Taking Djokovic: "It was probably the most difficult match I played in. The most physically demanding match was against Nadal in the final of Australia. [in 2012] "That one went nearly six o'clock. But mentally, it was a different level because of … everything. "
The "everything" in this four-hour, 57-minute duel included those two match points, the historical break-up (who would have imagined it would be the men's final the first year it would be used?) And even the crowd, consisting mainly of Federer supporters. Late in the game, "Let's go, Roger, let's go!" The song rolled from the central courtyard rises like gravel in a chute, drowning the cries of "Go Novak!"
Djokovic had a remedy for that. "Hard not to be aware [of the crowd], "he said." You have that kind of electric atmosphere, that kind of noise, especially in decisive moments where we are almost equal. You are just trying to ignore it. I like to transform it somehow: When the crowd sings "Roger", I hear "Novak". It sounds silly, but I try to convince myself that it's like that. "
This is, in a word, the life of Djokovic in the days of Federer-Nadal.
But now, Djokovic has caught up and even passed these two players in almost every field. Djokovic leads Nadal in the most prolific match of the time Open 28-26. He leads Federer in the third most contested rivalry 26-22. The only area in which Djokovic is still lagging behind is the most publicized of all: the total count of Grand Slam titles, still led by Federer. Djokovic, like Fed and Rafa, won on all surfaces of Slam.
Before the match began, Patrick McEnroe, an ESPN analyst, said that if Federer wins Sunday's game, he would probably think his Grand Slam title record is safe, but if Djokovic succeeds, that would make him think that Federer's record is within his reach.
Djokovic, 32, is one year younger than Nadal. He is only two major titles behind Nadal and four before the Federer mark. Given the age of Federer (37), Nadal's injuries and Djokovic's extreme dedication to fitness and overall health, it is easy to imagine that the world's No. 1 surpasses finally the mark of Federer.
"It looks like I'm getting closer, but they're also winning slams," Djokovic said of the record hunt. "We complement each other a bit, I do not know if I can do it or not. [But] I do not really consider age as a restriction of any kind, at least for me. "
At the award ceremony on Sunday, Djokovic made it clear to the crowd at the award ceremony that he was inspired by Federer's performance in his quest for greater longevity, which was either a great compliment for his rival, either a shot fired at the back, or a combination of both. "What I said on the pitch, I really thought so," Djokovic said later. "It depends on how long I'm going to play, if I'm going to have a chance to make a historic number 1 or fall."
This victory was Djokovic's fifth at Wimbledon, leaving him three places behind Federer. This is a detail that helps explain why Federer remains the ultimate paragon of Wimbledon. But if Federer is, and will probably still be, The Man at Wimbledon, Djokovic has replaced him as a man to beat. His career at Wimbledon has been remarkable in recent years. He has won more matches at the All-England Club (72) than at any other major tournament. His major breakthrough came in 2011, three years after winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
"I have somehow managed to find a balance between private and professional life [in 2011], "he said earlier this week. It just allowed me to perform as well as I could. The year 2011 was one of the best, if not the best, of my life. It changed things for me a little. After that, I started to trust more games and decisive points. This has brought me to the champion mentality. I started to believe that I could beat these two guys [Federer and Nadal] because they were so dominant. They removed all the slams. "
Djokovic mastered Nadal in the Wimbledon final in 2011, before making a 50-3 record at Wimbledon. Even Federer, with his eight titles, follows him 46-7 over this period. The process raised Wimbledon in the eyes of Djokovic. His feelings for Wimbledon help explain why it's been here last summer that Djokovic has resumed hunting after a two-year hustle filled with self-doubt, injury and existential troubles.
"Every time I show up on the pitch, I think about what happened the year before," said Djokovic after his inaugural win of the fortnight. "Last year, I left the world's top 20. I was always coming back from injuries and surgeries to find the desired level of tennis.It was a huge importance to win After the last year's tournament, I started to play my best tennis, which put me in first place. [Wimbledon] has a special place in my heart for many reasons. "
Sunday's epic finale – and how it will be seen in the next few years – will further connect this tournament to Djokovic's affection. Wimbledon could become the tournament in which Djokovic outperforms Nadal and Federer in the G.O.A.T. debate. Wimbledon always has the most cache and Djokovic has mastered all the dimensions of what it takes to win. The favor often shown to his rivals – the Federer-Nadal semifinal was the most anticipated match of this tournament – might have helped Djokovic.
Djokovic is aiming for this major title record, no doubt about it. He survived the equivalent of the midlife crisis of a tennis player and rebounded by winning three of the last four majors. Federer was asked if he thought it was "exciting" to be in a race with some rivals in hopes of breaking his record.
"Well, it was a very big deal," he said, turning away from his effort to beat Pete Sampras' previous record of 14 inmates. "Eventually, you're tied, then you end up breaking, it was big, it's different since, I'm motivated in different ways, not so much trying to stay in the lead because I broke the record. If anyone else does it – well, it's great for them, you can not protect everything anyway. "
Novak Djokovic no longer needs to hunt. He runs neck and neck now and at a pace that suggests that he still has a lot of kicks for the first leg.
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