Media playback is not supported on this device Wimbledon 2018: Novak Djokovic wins fourth Wimbledon title

Wimbledon 2018 on the BBC Venue: All England Club, Wimbledon Dates: 2-15 July Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, Connected TVs and the BBC Sport website and app; Live Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra commentary; Text commentary online.

Novak Djokovic earned his first Grand Slam title in more than two years by beating Kevin Anderson to win his fourth Wimbledon championship.

Djokovic, seeded 12th, won 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to claim a 13th Slam - his first major since the 2016 French Open.

The Serb, 31, quickly took control to win the opening set in 29 minutes, breaking twice more in the second set.

Djokovic saw off five set points in an even third set before dominating the tie-break to seal victory.

He dropped to his haunches just inside the baseline as Centre Court rose to acclaim the champion, hugging South African Anderson at the net before skipping over towards his box and celebrating wildly in front of his coaching team and wife Jelena.

"I had many moments of doubt, I didn't know if could come back to this level to compete," said Djokovic, who also won the Wimbledon title in 2011, 2014 and 2015.

"There is no better place to make a comeback, it's a sacred place for the world of tennis, it's very special."

He is now in outright fourth place on the all-time list of Grand Slam men's singles titles, moving clear of Roy Emerson and closing the gap on Roger Federer (20), Rafael Nadal (17) and Pete Sampras (14).

The former world number one will move back into the top 10 when the latest rankings are released on Monday.

It is his first title since winning Eastbourne last year.

Djokovic back to his Slam-winning best

Media playback is not supported on this device Novak Djokovic makes emotional speech after his fourth Wimbledon win

Djokovic dominated the men's game earlier this decade, holding the number one ranking for 223 weeks and completing a career Grand Slam when he claimed the title at Roland Garros two years ago.

Then, his cloak of invincibility began to slip.

After losing to Sam Querrey in the third round of Wimbledon in 2016, Djokovic alluded to difficulties in his personal life and his form subsequently tailed off.

Fitness also became an issue, taking two spells away from the ATP Tour because of an elbow injury, leading to him dropping out of the world's top 20 earlier this year for the first time since 2006.

Now he is back among the world's elite after a wonderful Wimbledon.

Djokovic broke twice in each of the opening two sets, dismantling 6ft 8in Anderson's service game and grinding him down in the rallies.

Anderson rarely ventured forward and offered little variation - until the third set at least - but Djokovic nullified the increased threat to win in two hours and 18 minutes.

Slow start for Anderson after marathon match

While Djokovic's troubles have been well documented, eighth seed Anderson has enjoyed his own renaissance in the past 12 months.

The 32-year-old cracked the world's top 10 for the first time towards the end of 2015, but faced a catalogue of injury problems during 2016 and dropped towards the foot of the top 100 as a result.

However, he has battled back to reach two Grand Slam finals and a top-five ranking over the past 18 months.

While reaching last year's US Open final showed he possesses an all-round game, Anderson's biggest weapon remains his serve - which he lost in the opening game against Djokovic with a double fault on break point.

Inspired to play tennis? Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.

Anderson struggled to find his rhythm and movement in a slow start, unsurprising after spending almost 11 hours on court in his previous two matches, and lost serve again in the fifth game.

While Roger Federer and John Isner eventually succumbed in those marathon quarter-final and semi-final matches, Djokovic was always going to be a tougher opponent to crack with the Serb regarded by many as the best returner in the game's history.

Of course, Djokovic also had a lengthy semi-final against Rafael Nadal but he did not look like he had returned to Centre Court without the benefit of a day off.

After taking the opener, Djokovic continued to wear down Anderson and, helped by some unforced errors from the South African's racquet, broke again in the first game of the second set.

Djokovic moved 4-1 ahead before Anderson finally started to ask questions of Djokovic's serve, missing his first break point in what proved to be the final game of the second set.

Djokovic keeps cool after Anderson rallies

Kevin Anderson's semi-final victory against John Isner on Friday took six hours and 35 minutes

Anderson rarely ventured forward in the opening two sets, coming to the net on seven occasions, before changing tack and making 14 approaches in the final set alone.

It contributed to an even third set as both men dominated their service games until Anderson earned another break point in the eighth game - the first of the set - with the help of the net cord.

Djokovic cranked up the tempo, landing a first serve to see off the break point, only to offer up two set points in the 10th game with two double faults.

He managed to save both, despite many on Centre Court cheering when they thought he had hit a forehand long on the first, going on to hold for 5-5 and greeting the winning point with a huge roar towards the crowd.

Djokovic's next service game also came under pressure as Anderson could not convert three further set points - and his failure to do so proved costly.

Djokovic raced 4-1 ahead in the tie-break, earning four championship points when Anderson dumped a forehand into the net.

The South African saved the first with a smash, but was powerless to save the second as Djokovic hit a first serve down the middle which could only be returned into the net.

"I am definitely not feeling as fresh as I was coming into the week," smiled Anderson.

"But I'd have given another 21 hours to have the opportunity to play out here, it really meant a lot to me."

Analysis

Three-time Wimbledon champion and former Djokovic coach Boris Becker on BBC TV

Djokovic is super-fit, very dedicated. He studies the history books, he knows Nadal and Federer have more Grand Slams though he won't talk about it. He can play for two or three years more years and win a few more majors.

Four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman on BBC TV

When you reflect on Anderson's last three matches, he had to play the match of his life against Federer from two sets down.

Then he has to play the new match of his life against Isner. Then to come back on finals day to beat Djokovic is a step too far.

He showed guts and determination, he hung in there and created opportunities. If he could have got the third set there might have been a second wind.</s>Novak Djokovic wins his fourth Wimbledon championship, beating Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the final

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic wins his fourth Wimbledon championship, beating Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the final.</s>Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominated men’s grand slam tennis in the last year and a half.

But now Novak Djokovic is set to end their duopoly once again, just like he did in 2011 when the Serb truly became a sustainable threat to the tennis behemoths.

Djokovic might not ever return to his halcyon days of winning four straight majors but his 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-3) win over a drained Kevin Anderson in the Wimbledon final watched by Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton is a sure sign the 31-year-old’s comeback from two years in the abyss — by his standards — is complete.

The lone resistance Djokovic encountered Sunday as the score suggested came in the third set, when he saved five set points on his serve in two different games, producing first serves on each of them. Again.

Elevating his game on pressure points has been a theme throughout the fortnight.

Moments after Anderson sent a return into the net on a first match point, Djokovic, in a familiar ritual at Wimbledon, tore a smidgeon of grass from world famous Centre Court and ate it.

He will eat properly at the Champions’ Dinner later Sunday.

His three-year-old son Stefan was allowed into his player box to watch his father hoist the trophy on a sunny, warm day in southwest London.

“It was one of, if not the biggest, motivation I’ve had for this Wimbledon this year,” said Djokovic. “I was visualizing, imagining this moment of him coming to the stands, cherishing this moment with my wife and me and everyone. It’s hard to describe.

“That was just a moment that I will carry inside of my heart forever.”

The “private” issues Djokovic spoke of but never elaborated on, elbow surgery, a brief loss of motivation and changes to his entourage in the roughly 25 months since bagging his last grand slam at the 2016 French Open make his 13th major success and fourth at Wimbledon extra rewarding. Plus having Stefan to take in the trophy ceremony.

“I think alongside the first Wimbledon title when I managed to get No. 1 of the world for the first time in 2011 and win my dream tournament, this is probably next to that the biggest achievement I had,” said Djokovic.

This even with the relatively lopsided nature of the two-hour, 19-minute contest, the second year in a row the men’s final has flattered to deceive as a spectacle.

In 2017 foot blisters to Marin Cilic severely hampered Croatia’s gentle giant and he fell to Federer in a rapid one hour, 41 minutes.

At the best of times it would have been difficult for the world No. 8 and last year’s US Open finalist to better Djokovic: Despite his monstrous serve, Djokovic could be the greatest returner tennis has ever seen and he had won five straight matches against the South African. Overcoming Anderson from a two-set deficit at Wimbledon in the fourth round in 2015 included.

Factor in Anderson’s exertions in the previous two rounds and the 6-foot-8 Florida resident never really had a chance to become the first person from his country to win Wimbledon.

He spent six hours, 36 minutes on court Friday in eliminating college rival John Isner in the third longest match in tennis history after a four-hour encounter against the eight-time champion Federer in the quarterfinals.

Isner — still Wimbledon’s ultra marathon man after his 11-hour victory against Nicolas Mahut spread over three days in 2010 at Wimbledon — said Friday his left heel was “killing” him and he developed blisters on his feet.

Anderson didn’t feel that much better. He said he was visited by doctors and a podiatrist and barely slept Friday night.

The 32-year-old and Isner called for an end to the rule where players must win fifth sets by two clear games — the US Open is the lone grand slam with a tiebreak in the fifth — but even if that happens, it will have been too late to help Anderson on Sunday.

Djokovic did linger for five hours, 15 minutes against the top-ranked Nadal but positively for the Monte Carlo resident, the gripping slugfest — usually the case when they meet — was spread over two days.

When Anderson and Isner stretched deep into the evening, the later than anticipated start time for Nadal and Djokovic in the second semifinal meant they couldn’t finish prior to Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. local time curfew. They returned Saturday and Djokovic traded blows with the Spaniard for another two hours, 20 minutes.

Players bereft of a day off ahead of a grand slam final have traditionally struggled against those that do have the usual rest yet Anderson indeed didn’t have a normal match on Friday, did he? Meanwhile, Djokovic is renown for his endurance.

Already the ace leader on tour, Anderson averaged almost 30 aces per match this fortnight.

Hitting the serve requires the most energy of any stroke in tennis and Anderson’s tally of 10 aces on Sunday was another indication of his flagging physical fortunes.

He tried to get himself going with multiple shouts of “come on” in the first set but made the worst possible start, broken in the first game on a double fault.

Anderson was unable to pressure Djokovic on serve, claiming three return points in the opener that lasted 29 minutes. Anderson had his right upper arm massaged by the trainer.

Once again Anderson was broken to start a set, in the second, before Djokovic faced his first break chance at 5-2. It was saved by forcing an Anderson error and Djokovic duly engineered a wonderful backhand down the line to his coach Marian Vajda’s delight.

For the first time, Djokovic let out a roar. Knowing the state of his opponent — considered one of the hardest working and professional players on the tour — plus the score he wasn’t about to rub it in.

The fans were behind Anderson — the majority were probably also aware of his semifinal plight — and they roared in delight following a hold for 2-1 in the third.

Anderson was getting more behind his serve in the third, hitting three aces to hold for 4-3, and unexpectedly earned a break chance in the ensuing game after a net-cord winner.

Djokovic saved it and two set points at 4-5.

He temporarily became irate when on the first, fans yelled out thinking his forehand was long.

Three more set points came and went at 5-6.

One sensed Anderson not capitalizing would haunt him and Djokovic — who confirmed that the influential Vajda would stick with him until the rest of the year at least — prospered in the tiebreak.

His 13 grand slams put Djokovic fourth on the all-time men’s list and one behind Pete Sampras.

With another drought not looking likely, he is bound to match the American — and surpass him.</s>Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has defeated South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in a three-set match at Wimbledon’s men’s single final today. The 6-2 6-2 7-6 victory marks Njokovic’s fourth Wimbledon win and 13th Grand Slam title overall, his last having been won at the 2016 French Open.

“The last couple of years haven’t been easy,” said Djokovic of the win. “I had surgery and was absent from the tour for six months. This was my first grand slam final after a couple of years. There was no better place to make my comeback. This is a sacred place for tennis. I always dreamed of holding this trophy when I was a young boy.”

“Playing against Novak isn’t easy,” added Anderson. “Congratulations to him. I’m not feeling as fresh now as I was coming into the week. But this is an amazing tournament for all of us. That’s what it had to take for me to get here. I would have given another 21 hours to have the opportunity to play out here.”

After suffering an elbow injury that caused Djokovic to withdraw from the 2017 Wimbledon quarterfinal, his win at Wimbledon today marks his first major victory in more than two years. In yesterday’s semifinal match, Djokovic had defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal, the world number one, in a five-set match.

Meanwhile, had he won today’s match, Anderson would have gained his first Grand Slam title. He came close at the 2017 US Open final, but lost against Spain’s Rafael Nadal. At this year’s Wimbledon men’s semifinal, he defeated America’s John Isner in a gruelling match that lasted six hours and 35 minutes, the second longest in Wimbledon history.

Watch Venus Williams’s 7 Best Workout Moves for a Grand Slam Body—Just Ahead of Wimbledon</s>Novak Djokovic won the Wimbledon men's singles title for the fourth time on Sunday, defeating South African's Kevin Anderson.

It wasn't a short championship for either competitor – on Friday in the semi-finals Kevin Anderson and John Isner played a remarkable six and a half hour match. That marathon match, in turn, forced Djokovic to play Rafael Nadal over the course of two days, and delayed the women's finals.

Anderson spent a total of 21 hours on the court prior to Sunday's finals, and said in a post-match interview he would have given "another 21 hours" to have the opportunity to play.

In his post-match interview, Djokovic said this championship was special because his son was in the stands.

"For the first time in my life I have someone screaming, 'Daddy, daddy,'" the champion said, as the camera zoomed in on his son and wife clapping in the crowd.

As ESPN reports, Djokovic hadn't won a major since the 2016 French Open, and became so frustrated with his performance in the intervening years that he "spoke about skipping the grass-court circuit."

"I had many moments of doubt, and didn't know really if I could come back to the level to compete," Djokovic said after the final. "There's no better place in the world to really make a comeback. This is a sacred place for the world of tennis, I always dreamed of holding this trophy."</s>Kevin Anderson will play Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Wimbledon men’s final after he outlasted Rafael Nadal in yet another epic semifinal.

The Serbian eventually triumphed in just over five hours 6-4 3-6 7-6 3-6 and 10-8.

South Africa’s leading player will feel a bit more confident now that his opponent has also been worn down physically.

Djokovic and Nadal had to resume their game in the fourth set on Saturday afternoon after they ran out of time on Friday evening.

Anderson will be wary of a fairly poor record against Djokovic, having only beaten him once – way back in 2008 in Miami.

For more sport your way, download The Citizen’s app for and .</s>WIMBLEDON, England—At the French Open last month, Novak Djokovic was disgusted. He lost to an unseeded opponent, the type of player Djokovic would normally destroy. The defeat hurt so much that he had no idea what he would do next.

“I don’t know if I’m going to play on grass,” Djokovic said after the loss. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

A little more than a month later, Djokovic has accomplished what few expected: He’s now the Wimbledon champion for the fourth time in his career and playing like the Djokovic of old.

Djokovic on Sunday defeated Kevin Anderson in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3). He crouched to the ground after hitting a service winner to clinch the match. Anderson, 32 years old, was playing the second Grand Slam final of his career. Last year he lost to Rafael Nadal in the U.S. Open final.

For Djokovic, 31, this is his fourth Wimbledon title and the 13th major title in all, but likely his most satisfying. From 2011 to 2016, Djokovic was the best player in the world. He won 11 out of the 24 Grand Slam events he entered, and in 2015 fell one victory short of a full Grand Slam season, which was last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969. He did, however, accomplish a feat that neither Roger Federer or Nadal have done. Djokovic won four straight Grand Slam finals from Wimbledon in 2015 to the French Open in 2016. After that rare streak, everyone thought Djokovic would continue to dominate.

An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.</s>Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain in the men's singles semifinal match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Saturday July 14, 2018. (Andrew Couldridge, Pool via AP)</s>Novak Djokovic was back to his brutal best as he beat South African eighth seed Kevin Anderson 6-2 6-2 7-6(3) to win the Wimbledon men's singles title for the fourth time on Sunday.

The Serb was back roaring into the skies in triumph as he captured a 13th Grand Slam title to end a 25-month barren run at the slams.

After being kept on court for almost 11 hours during his last two wins over defending champion Roger Federer and John Isner, fatigue finally caught up with Anderson on Sunday as he failed in his bid to become the first South African man to win the Wimbledon title.

Djokovic had also spent more than five hours to subdue Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals but he relied on his supreme levels of fitness to outlast Anderson, with the South African netting a service return on match point.</s>Hello. Usually people talk about the weather when they have nothing interesting to say. But bloody hell, it’s hot at Wimbledon today. London’s heatwave has returned with a vengeance and the sun will be beating down on Centre Court when Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson drag their weary bodies on to the grass in an hour. Chances are they’re both going to sleep for the next month once this is all done and dusted.

I’m not sure it’s been this scorching for a men’s final since Andy Murray beat Djokovic in 2013 and the conditions are bound to play a part given that both players have not had long to recover from their epic semi-finals. Anderson reached his first Wimbledon final after beating John Isner in six hours and 36 minutes - it was the second longest grand slam singles match of all time - and Djokovic sealed his spot after edging out Rafael Nadal yesterday. They’ve both got a lot of miles on the clock; most of us wouldn’t be able to pick up a racket after what they’ve put their bodies through in the past 48 hours. “My feet are sore, they’re swollen,” the 32-year-old Anderson said, speaking late on Friday night after winning his serve-off with Isner 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-4, 26-24. “The legs are jelly-like.”

If they’re still wobbling this afternoon, the eighth seed probably stands no chance of claiming his first grand slam title, even though Djokovic must be drained after taking two days to beat Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 3-6, 10-8. Djokovic hasn’t had long to recover from outlasting the world No1, but the Serbian is one of the fittest players around and in total has only spent 15 hours and 34 minutes on court over the fortnight. Anderson, whose thrilling comeback from two sets and match point down in his quarter-final against Roger Federer took four hours and 14 minutes, has clocked up 21 hours and 1 minute in six matches. 



After the scheduling issues that have dominated the conversation since Anderson and Isner went deep into a fifth set that eventually began to resemble Superman punching himself in the face for three hours, let’s just hope that this doesn’t fall flat. These championships could do with a good ending given how many of the top seeds fell early.

Encouragingly, the 6ft 8in Anderson has been playing well enough to trouble anyone over the past year. The affable power server has hit 172 aces over the past fortnight and reached his first grand slam final at last year’s US Open final, losing in straight sets to Nadal. He’s grown in belief. His return game has improved and he is striking the ball with venomous intent. He could become the first South African to win the men’s title and the second African to win it since Jaroslav Drobny, who represented Egypt when he beat Ken Rosewall in 1954. He would also be the first man to win the Wimbledon title since saving match point since 1960.

Anderson will require a monumental effort, though, because he’s taking on arguably the greatest returner in the history of the sport. He has a 6-1 losing record against Djokovic and the Serbian’s performance against Nadal suggests that he’s back to his fearsome best after two troubled years. Djokovic hasn’t always exuded happiness over the past two weeks - there came a point when he looked like he might flick the Vs at Kate and Meghan in the Royal Box yesterday – and it’s strange to think he’s the 12th seed given that he’s lifted this title three times. He slumped spiritually and physically after completing the career slam at Roland Garros in 2016, his aching elbow gave up on him here last year and he looked like a busted flush at the start of 2018; defeats to Hyeon Chung, Taro Daniel, Benoit Paire and Martin Klizan followed his elbow surgery and he even suggested that he might skip the grass after crashing out of the French Open to Marco Cecchinato.

Yet Djokovic’s ferocious will to win, sprightly movement, stubborn defence and brilliant efficiency have all returned at SW19. Murray saw it coming, tipping Djokovic to beat Nadal during his appearance in the BBC studio on Tuesday, and it will be a huge surprise if the three-time champion, who’s back in a major final for the first time since the 2016 US Open, doesn’t claim his 13th grand slam title. Anderson is going to have to play the match of his life on Centre Court. Again.
In men's professional tennis, Novak Djokovic defeats Kevin Anderson in three sets to win his fourth Wimbledon championship.