Novak Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title on Sunday, dethroning champion Rafael Nadal with a 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 triumph to celebrate his coronation as new world number one in style. It was the 24-year-old Serb’s third Grand Slam title, to add to his 2008 and 2011 Australian Open victories, and 50th win his last 51 matches.
Djokovic, who will succeed Nadal as world number one on Monday, also denied the Spaniard, the champion here in 2008 and 2010, an 11th Grand Slam title. “It’s hard to describe how I feel, it’s the best day of my life. This is the most special tournament that I always dreamed about winning when I was young,” said Djokovic. “I think I am still sleeping and dreaming.”
“Rafa has always beaten me in the big matches in the Grand Slams so I had to be on top of my game and I think I played my best match on a grass court.” “And with being world number one, it’s been a couple of good days in the office.” Nadal, who was appearing in his 13th Grand Slam final, admitted Djokovic was the better player on the day. “He has had an amazing season and I congratulate Novak,” said Nadal. “I can imagine how he feels. It was a dream for me to play here, it always feels like home.
“Today I tried my best but today he was better than me.” Djokovic went into the final with a 11-16 losing record against Nadal over their five-year rivalry but having won all four of their clashes in 2011 and all in finals. Serve dominated until the 10th game when from 30-0 up Nadal handed his opponent a set point with a forehand error which Djokovic gobbled up, forcing another wild forehand out of the Spaniard to take the opener after 41 minutes.
The Serb had been the more convincing in the rallies and Nadal, who committed just seven unforced errors in his semi-final win over Andy Murray, was already up to eight by the time Djokovic was 1-0 ahead in the second set. Djokovic was taking control of the final and was a break up at 2-0 when he brilliantly anticipated a Nadal drop shot before scampering across court to execute a wonderful, wrong-footing backhand. The Serb broke again for a 5-1 lead when a powerful drive left Nadal scrambling, and off balance, and he could only pat the return wide. A confident hold to love gave Djokovic the set 6-1 when Nadal found the net.
But Nadal, who had won all five of the pair’s previous Grand Slam clashes, carved out his first break points of the final in the second game of the third set to open a 2-0 lead which was soon 3-0 courtesy of a confident love service game. Djokovic served up a first double fault to be broken again in the sixth game before Nadal pulled off a third successive love game to take the set. The Serb saved a break point in the first game of the fourth set and made the most of his reprieve with a break to lead 2-0.
But a net cord fell in Nadal’s favour and gave him the break back in the third game. A subdued Nadal then slipped 3-5 down as a brilliant defensive rally from Djokovic forced an error from Spaniard. The trophy was the Serb’s when on his first match point when Nadal went long with a backhand.
