by Novak Djokovic has detailed how he beat Roger Federer in the legendary 2019 Wimbledon final.
With the Center Court crowd firmly backing the veteran Federer as he looked to defy the odds and beat the all-conquering Djokovic, the Swiss maestro had two match points in a convincing fifth set.
He had a chance to finish Djokovic when he approached the net with a forehand on the second match point, but failed to accelerate the ball quickly enough, giving his great rival the chance to overtake him.
Djokovic took advantage of this opportunity, breaking Federer’s serve and winning a crucial ten-point tiebreak after the final set was tied at 12-12.
Of all the matches Djokovic and Federer have played, this is perhaps the most discussed, and that’s why Novak’s comments in an emotional interview with La Nacion made for riveting viewing.
In his comments for that match, Djokovic revealed a mindset that suggests he always believes in finding a way to win, but that confidence wavered as Federer served for his ninth Wimbledon title.
“Given the circumstances, it was one of the most important moments I experienced,” he recalled.
“I was two match points behind and if you look at the match statistics, he played better than me. He won more points. I don’t think I’ve ever broken his serve, except for that moment at the end of the fifth set.
“It was the first year the tiebreak was used when the score was 12-12 in the fifth set. It was incredible. The atmosphere was unique throughout the entire game. It was on grass, which was certainly his best surface, but I’m not that bad on grass either.
“I knew that if I could hold serve and stick to some important fundamental things, in the long run I would be physically ready to play for ten hours and in the end I would win. I always believed that until he broke my serve in the fifth set.
“When he was serving in the next game he said, ‘Uh, this is going badly,’ but I stayed calm, which isn’t always the case, believe me.
“People who know me know that I am not always calm on the court, but this time I had to be calm because it was Federer, it was the final and the stadium was on his side.”
“I said to myself; “Well, if he gives me an ace, he beats me an ace.” He’s very good. But when I hit the ball, I’m going to let him play, I’m going to do everything I can to put him in a position where he has to think he has to do something special.”
“I think that’s when he started making mistakes and I made a very good pass throw on the second match point. And then the game turned.”
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The details Djokovic remembered from his matches dating back more than a decade made for fascinating viewing as they highlighted the thought processes he goes through on key points.
“I remember in the last part of the match the sun was setting, half the court was in shade, the other half was in the sun and I was coming back from one side where the sun was hitting my face,” he added of Wimbledon -Final 2019.
“I was in a zone of mental concentration and self-control and was not paying attention to the noise or anything else that was going on.
“I was shielded: that was the mentality. For example, when I saved a few match points against him at the US Open (2011), he was also 40-15. He served wide, I read his serve, I predicted it and came out victorious.
“But at Wimbledon he was 40-15. He served to the T and I thought, “He’s going to go there.” So I did a split step and leaned a little to the right to cover the wide serve.
“I see him serve to the T and the ball hits the net and goes out of bounds, but if it had gone just that far over the net it would have been an ace and that was it, it was over.”
“Sometimes that’s what makes the difference. Such a small margin can change the history of the sport. Haven’t we seen this a lot in football, with offsides and things like that? Goals in the last minute. Or in basketball, a three-pointer in the last seconds.
“These are some of the most memorable moments in the history of sport that people will talk about and remember for years. I am proud to have been part of these games.”
Read more: The 10 men with the most weeks in the top 5 of the ATP rankings: with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
