The 2019 Wimbledon final holds a special place in the hearts of tennis enthusiasts for understandable reasons. What proved to be Roger Federer’s last major final, ended in a heartbreak for him and his ardent legion of supporters around the world. Novak Djokovic may have won the pulsating contest, but not before experiencing an emotional rollercoaster.
So much so that the Serb dubbed the contest the “most nerve-wracking match” of his career. Djokovic had to rely on tiebreaks to clinch his three sets, and he had to survive two nail-biting match points in the decider. Recalling the iconic fixture, Djokovic told the HEAD YouTube channel,
“It was a match in which he [Federer] was the better player statistically, he won more points and he just had all the stats on his side. But I just found a way to win in important moments and to play the right shots at the right time.”
It was all drama from start to finish. There was a moment in the fifth set when Federer managed to break Djokovic, putting him ahead 8-7. In the blink of an eye, it was 40-15 in the Swiss Maestro’s serve but it was far from over. Narrating the comeback in the 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12 win, Djokovic said –
“At 40-15 down I just tried to make him play and make him earn his victory. He came to the net. I made a passing shot and second match point and he got tight a little bit and I used my momentum. Again it was a very close one very close match, probably the most nerve-wracking match I was ever part of.”
Novak Djokovic says the two greatest matches of his career were against Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.
The 1st one was Wimbledon 2019 against Roger:
“It was a match in which he [Federer] was the better player statistically, he won more points and he just had all the stats on… pic.twitter.com/czXm09PaNx
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 11, 2024
Well, it’s no surprise that Djokovic considers this win to be high on his list. But it isn’t the only memorable one. How can it be? It would be unfair to expect someone who’s been in so many finals to have only one unforgettable encounter.
Djokovic adds 2012 Australian Open final vs Nadal to the same bracket
It makes sense that Djokovic’s “two greatest matches” are against his ‘Big 3’ rivals. Even though Rafael Nadal was at the top of his game going into the 2012 Australian Open final, he struggled to establish his dominance in the match.
Djokovic eventually won what ended up being the longest Grand Slam final (five hours and 53 minutes).
“Another one that I would add to that section was the 2012 win in Australian Open against Nadal in the finals. But those two matches stand out as the two greatest matches that I was ever part of,” said Djokovic who beat Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5.
Not every player is fortunate enough to compete in those historic finals and walk away with a win. When a player pulls that off, especially against legends like Federer and Nadal, it’s going to be remembered forever. It is no different for Djokovic.
