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Novak Djokovic clawed closer to Rafael Nadal’s men’s singles record of 21 Grand Slam titles on Sunday when he defeated Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final. The Serbian’s coach, 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, was ecstatic for his charge.

“For me he was a favourite here. Before the tournament he really played some unbelievable tennis. But you still need to win the tournament, so it was not easy,” Ivanisevic said. “But [a] Grand Slam is a Grand Slam. He [has] 21. He really deserves it. He really deserves it.”

At the same time, Ivanisevic was highly complimentary of first-time major finalist Kyrgios, who pushed Djokovic to a fourth-set tie-break. The Croatian explained what makes facing the Australian so difficult.

“You cannot prepare [for a] match against Nick Kyrgios. Nick Kyrgios is a genius, tennis genius. He doesn't know what he's going to play next in the point,” Ivanisevic said. “We just concentrate [on] what Novak has to do, the things he has to do, the things he has to be careful [of]. When somebody [is] serving like Nick Kyrgios — for me [he] is the best server in the game by far. Unbelievable tennis player. [He] is very unpredictable.”

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Nick Kyrgios believes he has the game to challenge for the biggest titles in the future as he looks to take confidence from his run to his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon.

The Australian won the first set against Novak Djokovic Sunday, before the Serbian turned the tables to clinch his seventh crown at The Championships on Centre Court.

“My level is right there. I feel like you look at what Novak has done to some other opponents, it's not a good feeling. But I'm right there,” Kyrgios said in his post-match press conference. “I'm not behind the eight ball at all. I played a Slam final against one of the greatest of all time, and I was right there.

“[I will take] confidence. It was a hell of an occasion… I came out in the first set and I looked like I was the one who had played in a lot of finals. I thought I dealt with the pressure pretty well.”

The Australian, who felt he ‘belonged’ on the biggest stage during his defeat against the Serbian, leaves London holding a 12-3 record on grass in 2022.

Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios on Sunday in a thrilling four-set Wimbledon final that captured the world's attention.

Stars from inside and outside the tennis world, including Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Roddick, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova reacted to Djokovic's seventh triumph at The Championships on social media.

Great champion!!! Idemo Nole!!! ? https://t.co/nQwvPIFeLO

So impressive. Congrats to Nole ! Cheers tweeps. Thanks for watching w me!

Congratulations on winning your 7th Wimbledon Novak Djokovic, that was a controlled and masterful performance. Bad luck Nick, you have so much talent, I hope to see you in another Slam final soon. ?

After Rafael Nadal narrowed the 'Big Titles' race by lifting the Roland Garros trophy, Novak Djokovic extended his advantage on Sunday by defeating Nick Kyrgios for the Wimbledon title.

Djokovic battled past Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) for his seventh triumph at The Championships and his 21st major crown. The Serbian now owns 64 'Big Titles', putting him five ahead of Nadal and 10 in front of Roger Federer. A 'Big Title' is a trophy at a Grand Slam championship, the Nitto ATP Finals, an ATP Masters 1000 tournament or an Olympic singles gold medal.

The 35-year-old also drew closer to Nadal in the race for the most men's singles Grand Slam titles. Djokovic now has 21, putting him one behind Nadal. Federer has lifted 20 major trophies.

The Serbian also tied his idol Pete Sampras and William Renshaw for the second-most men's singles titles in Wimbledon history with seven. Only Federer, an eight-time champion at the grass-court major, has emerged victorious more at the event.

Djokovic improved his 'Big Title' win rate to one victory for every 3.2 events played (64/207), while Nadal has claimed one 'Big Title' for every 3.4 tournaments he has played (59/202). Only Federer (4.4, 54/240) and Pete Sampras (4.9, 30/147) have claimed a 'Big Title' at a rate of greater than once per five events played.

Novak Djokovic has moved within a set of his seventh Wimbledon title after a returning masterclass took the top seed to the third set against Nick Kyrgios in Sunday's championship match at the grass-court major.

Djokovic, chasing his fourth consecutive title at SW19, leads the Australian 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. His current winning streak of 27 matches at the grass-court major is the fourth-longest men’s singles winning streak at the event in the Open Era.

Should the Serbian complete his first tour-level win in three attempts against Kyrgios, he will move within one of Rafael Nadal’s record 22 Grand Slam titles. It would also draw the 35-year-old level with legendary American Pete Sampras’ tally of seven trophies won at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Kyrgios, who had never been beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam prior to this fortnight in London, is seeking his maiden Grand Slam crown. Should he defeat Djokovic in London, the 27-year-old will be the first Australian man to win the Wimbledon singles title since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

The No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Kyrgios has the most tour-level match wins on grass in 2022 with 12. The Australian is chasing is maiden title on the surface, with all six of his ATP Tour crowns coming on hard courts.

The action will take place on two continents and on two different surfaces this week on the ATP Tour, with established stars competing on clay at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden, and on grass at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, United States.

Casper Ruud headlines the field in Bastad as he aims to retain his title, while Felix Auger-Aliassime and Andy Murray are among those competing in Newport.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each ATP 250 event.

View Draws: Bastad | Newport

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Novak Djokovic enters the Wimbledon final as a three-time defending champion, second on the all-time wins list at The Championships with 85 match victories. But a triumph against Nick Kyrgios is not among them.

Though the pair have never met at Wimbledon, the Serbian is 0-2 in his ATP Head2Head against his final opponent. Djokovic did not claim a set — or a break of serve — in two 2017 encounters as Kyrgios was victorious in Acapulco and Indian Wells. The Aussie saved the only break point he faced across those two hard-court matches, nullifying the threat of one of the game's all-time best returners with a combined 39 aces in four sets and a first-serve win rate above 80 per cent in each match.

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Djokovic failed to live up to his career win rate of 34 per cent against first serves, posting success rates of 19 and 14 per cent in those two matches against the power of the Kyrgios delivery. The Aussie will hope to ride a similar serving performance to victory on Sunday.

"His motion for the serve is so fluid and just very quick," Djokovic said of his next opponent after a four-set semi-final victory against Cameron Norrie. "He can hit any angle really. He tosses it forward so he can come in, serve and volley. He puts himself in a great position to be aggressive or to stay back. But he's always one metre in front of the baseline.

Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell went the distance for the fifth time this fortnight to claim their maiden Grand Slam title in Saturday's Wimbledon final. The Aussies, who saved eight match points across two matches in reaching the championship match, recovered an early break in the fifth set against Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in a thrilling 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-2) victory.

Pavic, who was playing exclusively with his dominant left hand due to a fractured right wrist, put forth a valiant effort alongside his fellow Croatian, but the second seeds fell just short in their bid to retain the Wimbledon title.

After receiving the runner-up trophy, Mektic gave full credit to the Australians.

"It is tough, really, 7-6 in the fifth," he said. "I have to congratulate the guys for this title. They had an amazing tournament, they came back so many times. They defended some match points and here once again they came back from 2-1 [down] with their good level."

The moment ?? @MaxPurcell98 & @mattebden ?? claimed the title! ??

?: @Wimbledon | #Wimbledon

pic.twitter.com/R4UMXXtdM7

After a pulsating two weeks, Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios will take to centre stage on Sunday in a mouthwatering clash in the Wimbledon final.

For Kyrgios the task at hand is great, with the Australian never been beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam before this fortnight. In contrast, Djokovic will be competing in a record 32nd major final as he aims to capture his 21st Grand Slam crown.

However, Kyrgios is the game’s ultimate big-stage performer and with the weapons he possesses – a thunderous serve and powerful forehand – the 27-year-old will look to rise to the occasion and end his fairytale run with his first Grand Slam trophy.

“He plays lights-out every time he steps out onto the court,” Djokovic said when discussing Kyrgios. “Just [has] a lot of power in his serve and his game. So I'm sure he's going to go for it. No doubt he's going to be aggressive. I expect him to do that.

“He's a big-match player. If you see his career, the best tennis he's played is always against the top guys. That's why we all respect him, because we know what he can come up with. It's going to be [an] interesting match.”

Cameron Norrie walked off Centre Court at Wimbledon on Friday having lost to Novak Djokovic in his first major semi-final. Although the Briton has plenty to be proud of after a memorable fortnight, the experience has left him hungry for more.

“Great experience. I can take a lot of confidence from it. To reach the semis, reach the Friday of the second week, is pretty sick. But I think for me, I want to go [for] more and I want to do more of that and go one further and try to win a Slam,” Norrie said.

“A lot of firsts for me this week, a lot of good experiences. Hopefully I can take them in my stride. I think looking, comparing to Novak, I think it was just the level of execution from him today was better than me. His level of focus, the way he handled his service games was better than me. That was the difference.”

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For a moment, it seemed Norrie was in good position to push for his first major final after storming through the first set 6-2. But Djokovic rebounded with devastating form through the rest of the match to triumph after two hours and 35 minutes.

Top seed Novak Djokovic revealed that he is embracing the opportunity to make more history at Wimbledon this weekend after he defeated Cameron Norrie to reach a record 32nd Grand Slam final.

The 35-year-old is aiming to capture a seventh Wimbledon crown and 21st major title as he aims to close the gap on 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

“I'm aware of what's on the line. Every match, every Grand Slam that I get to play at this stage of my career, there is a lot on the line,” Djokovic said in his post-match press conference. “I don't know how many Grand Slam opportunities to win the trophy I will still have, as I will have in a few days. So, of course, I'm approaching it with [a] positive attitude and self-belief and willingness to win. There's no doubt about it.”

The Serbian, who admitted he was delighted to reach another final, will meet Australian Nick Kyrgios in the championship match.

It will be the first time Kyrgios has competed in a Grand Slam final, but Djokovic knows the challenge Kyrgios will pose, with the 27-year-old leading the top seed 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios will meet for the first time at the All England Club – and the third time overall – in Sunday’s Wimbledon final. Kyrgios has won their prior meetings (both in 2017) without dropping a set and without dropping serve.

But as a 20-time Grand Slam champion, Djokovic has a clear edge in big-match experience over the Australian, who will contest his first major final.

What Is The Head-To-Head Rivalry Between Novak Djokovic & Nick Kyrgios?

2017 Indian Wells R16, hard, Kyrgios d. Djokovic 6-4, 7-6(3)

2017 Acapulco QF, hard, Kyrgios d. Djokovic 7-6(9), 7-5

View The Djokovic-Kyrgios ATP Head2Head page For Match Stats, Bio Info & More

Top seed Novak Djokovic moved to within one win of capturing his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title and seventh overall Friday, when he overcame Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

On a sun-baked Centre Court, the Serbian raised his level as the match went on, breaching the defences of Norrie with his aggressive and precise groundstrokes to advance to his eighth final at The Championships in two hours and 34 minutes.

“I didn’t start off well. He was the better player for the first set. I have had many semi-finals at Grand Slams before, but it is never easy walking out onto court,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “You have a lot of pressure and expectation from yourself and others. Cameron didn’t have much to lose, he is playing the tournament of his life. Playing at home is never easy, but I wish him all the best. He is a great player and I have a lot of respect for him.”

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The World No. 3 is chasing his 21st Grand Slam title this fortnight as he looks to close the gap on 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal. The 35-year-old will face Nick Kyrgios in the championship match on Sunday after Spaniard Nadal was forced to withdraw ahead of his semi-final meeting with Kyrgios due to an abdominal tear. The Australian leads Djokovic 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

Playing in a Grand Slam final is an opportunity kids around the world dream of. Even Nick Kyrgios, who has rarely shown nerves in his career, admitted Friday that he is feeling the butterflies just thinking about competing on Centre Court Sunday for the Wimbledon trophy.

“I had a shocking sleep last night, though, to be honest. I probably got an hour's sleep just with everything, like the excitement. I had so much anxiety, I was already feeling so nervous, and I don't feel nervous usually,” Kyrgios said. “I just know there's a lot of people that want me to do well and give my best. But I had a shocking sleep last night. Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight.”

The Australian had never advanced past a major quarter-final before this fortnight. In the quarter-finals, Kyrgios defeated Chilean Cristian Garin. On Thursday evening, he learned his semi-final opponent, Rafael Nadal, had withdrawn, sending the 27-year-old into the championship match. “Every little thought” was running through Kyrgios' head.

“I was just restless, so many thoughts in my head about a Wimbledon final. That's all I was thinking about,” Kyrgios said. “I was thinking just playing, obviously imagining myself winning, imagining myself losing, everything.”

The good news for the No. 40 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is that this is not his first experience at the tail end of a major. Earlier this year, he partnered Thanasi Kokkinakis to the Australian Open doubles title. Although singles and doubles are different physically, Kyrgios found that finding the late-tournament rhythm has made him more comfortable this time.

Defending champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic will meet Australians Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell for the first time Saturday in the Wimbledon men's doubles final. 

Both teams saved at least one match point in a pair of five-set semi-final victories, with Ebden/Purcell saving five in a a 3-6, 6-7(1), 7-6(9), 6-4, 6-2 comeback against top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. While the 14th seeds battled back from two sets down, Mektic/Pavic twice came back from a set down against former champions Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal in a 6-7(2), 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(10-4) thriller, saving a match point on the Mektic serve at 4-5 in the decider.

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Mektic/Pavic, the second seeds, bring a 13-match winning streak into the final, in addition to their 11-match winning streak at Wimbledon. The Croatians won at The Queen's Club and Eastbourne in the lead-up to Wimbledon, giving them four titles on the season (Rome, Geneva). They have won 13 titles as a pair since teaming up for the 2021 ATP Tour season.

Aussies Ebden/Purcell lifted their lone trophy as a duo in Houston this April and reached the final at the Australian Open and in s'Hertogenbosch. The Wimbledon marathon men have gone the distance in four of their five matches this fortnight and twice came back from two sets down; they won a 10-8 fifth-set tie-break in the opening round against Ben McLachlan and Andre Goransson in their other great escape.

Cameron Norrie rallied to a five-set quarter-final victory against David Goffin at Wimbledon on Tuesday in a thrilling demonstration of why he is regarded as one of the mentally and physically toughest players on Tour. Yet the ninth seed’s will to win through to a maiden Grand Slam semi-final came as no surprise to David Roditi, the Briton’s former Head Coach at Texas Christian University.

“[I] just [remember] how competitive he was,” Roditi told ATPTour.com this week. “Brutally competitive. Sometimes in practice, we had some great players like [World No. 310] Alex Rybakov, almost at the same level. I think Cameron beat him 21 times in practice, in 21 sets.

“Even when Alex could use a little confidence, Cameron would just beat him. We were kind of looking at Cameron going, ‘Hey, he needs a little confidence, let him take a set in practice’. He wouldn’t, he was just ultra-competitive. He doesn’t show it through his emotions a lot, but he is super competitive, and it’s like he doesn’t care how a person feels, he is just going to beat you.”

Norrie competed for the Horned Frogs from 2015 to 2017. Despite the high level he regularly displayed on the court in Fort Worth, it was not all plain sailing for Norrie during his time at TCU. Roditi acknowledges that Norrie, like most 19-year-olds, had some growing to do when he arrived in the United States.

“He was still immature in some ways, he made some mistakes,” said Roditi. “But it was in an environment where we could work with him, he could learn from them, and we weren’t going to shame him or anything. It was just opportunities for him to learn. Obviously, there were some things on the court that he improved, but that was just part of the process, let’s say. Just that discipline, accountability, is what improved a lot.”

The 2022 Wimbledon men’s singles champion will be crowned on Sunday, 10th July. As we approach the final weekend of The Championships, it’s time to show how well you know tournament history!

We recently put ATP Tour stars, including Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie, to the test in our Head-to-Head Challenge. While they had the extra task of naming the specific champion for each year, going backwards from the 2021 edition, you only need to identify the seven different winners since 2000.

There's one minute on the clock for the Wimbledon Champions Challenge. Think you have what it takes to get all seven? Take the quiz, share your results and challenge your tennis friends!

For an extra challenge, try to name the champions of each edition from 2000-21 and watch the video to see how you measure up against the likes of Murray, Marin Cilic and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Murray did 'alright', by his own assessment, but lamented one mistake. “There was one disappointing one though, where I got the Federer vs Nadal classic, the wrong way around. That would’ve helped.” 

For Philipp Kohlschreiber, 1 August 2018 is a day that sticks in the memory.

In the morning, he married his long-term girlfriend, Lena Alberti. In the afternoon, he was in Kitzbuehel, tearing around the court in a second-round match against Denis Istomin. The story is a reflection of the German’s commitment to a 20-year career on the ATP Tour, which he brought to a close at Wimbledon two weeks ago.

“[It was] very unique,” said Kohlschreiber of his wedding day when speaking to ATPTour.com about his retirement this week. “I had been a little bit sick, so I couldn’t play the day before. I needed to get a little bit more rest to get ready for Kitzbuehel (where he was the defending champion).

"When you’re a professional guy, everything you do is for your sport… But you have to make a good date for your wedding, so it is easy to remember. 1 August 2018, it is always very simple for me. In that case, the wedding was a little bit more important!”

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Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski successfully defended their Wimbledon mixed doubles crown Thursday by claiming the first trophy on offer this fortnight at The Championships. The American-British pair defeated Australians Matthew Ebden and Sam Stosur 6-4 6-3 to back up their 2021 title run on Centre Court.

"Two in a row baby, at Wimbledon," Krawczyk said to her partner during the trophy ceremony.

Skupski, who was delighted to be playing in front of his parents at his home Grand Slam, revealed that the pair had not been planning on defending its title until just before the tournament.

"I got a last-minute call from Des to play," he said. "We weren't meant to play, so we've only been a team for two weeks. We'll have to go for three next year, if she plays with me," he added with a smile.

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Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon ahead of Friday's semi-finals due to an abdominal tear, he announced in a Thursday evening press conference at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

"I have been suffering with pain in the abdominal... there is a tear in the muscle," he said. "I made the decision because I don't believe I can win two matches under these circumstances."

The Spaniard struggled with the injury during his five-set quarter-final victory against Taylor Fritz, but said following the match that the problem started days earlier. Despite his father and sister urging him to retire early in that match, Nadal managed to twice come from a set down to advance 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10-4) after four hours, 20 minutes. Nadal's first-serve speed dipped significantly as he compensated for the injury, often dropping under 100 mph.

He was set to take on Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals on Centre Court.

"Not only I can't serve at the right speed, I can't do the normal movement to serve," Nadal explained. "I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at the level to achieve my goal. And there is a big chance to make the thing much worse."