Pure willpower lifts Djokovic in his "most mentally demanding match"

Djokovic, of course, examined the competitive landscape differently.

“It was probably the most mentally demanding match I was ever a part of. I had the most physically demanding match against Nadal in the finals of Australia that went almost six hours. But mentally this was a different level because of everything,” said Djokovic.

He won this match predominantly on willpower and is now just four majors behind Federer and two short of Nadal. He has raised his record in Grand Slam finals to 16-9. This was a singularly enriching experience for a man who has known triumph on a level few ever feel. It is hard to imagine that he will not eventually surpass Federer and Nadal and stand atop the list of men’s victors at the majors.

Djokovic knows he was nowhere near his best in his latest Wimbledon final, but he still prevailed over one of his primary rivals with a performance he will never forget. That was no mean feat.

LONDON—Down the road in the distant future, perhaps when his grandchildren ask him about his most gratifying tennis triumph, Novak Djokovic will look them in the eye and proudly share, “My victory over Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final.”

Djokovic seldom played his best brand of tennis in this riveting confrontation as Federer fought valiantly for a ninth Wimbledon crown and a 21st major. The Serbian, unrelenting in going after a fifth Wimbledon and 16th major, suffered through one of toughest days in a match of consequence because his most revered weapon—the return of serve—was simply not there for most of the match. He was too often at Federer’s mercy from the backcourt.

And yet, in the end, after four hours and 57 minutes in the Wimbledon’s longest singles final, Djokovic contained his emotions in outlasting Federer 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3). It was the first time that a singles contest at the 2019 Wimbledon concluded in a tiebreaker since that forum was instituted this year.

The fact Djokovic even got there was a testament to his mental toughness in the most pressure-filled situations. The first set was well played on both sides of the net as both men held steadfastly to set up a tiebreaker. Serving at 5-3, Federer faltered, pulling a forehand wide. He missed another similarly on the following point. Serving at 5-6, Federer miss-hit a backhand crosscourt wide. Djokovic had turned the tables, collecting four points in a row to seal the set.

It had taken 58 minutes for Djokovic to salvage that set, but Federer needed only 25 minutes to make it one set all. Djokovic was broken three times in the second set, winning only 27% of his first serve points and 33% on his second delivery. He made ten unforced errors and won only eleven points in that set, largely beating himself while Federer sustained his higher standards.

While Djokovic remained a stranger in his own skin on the return of serve all through the third set, he cut down substantially on his mistakes and faced only one break point. But that was a crucial corner of the match. Djokovic was serving at 4-5, 30-40, set point down. But he met the moment ably, connecting with a 119 MPH first serve to the Federer backhand. The Swiss blocked his return wide and soon Djokovic held on.

Once more, a tiebreaker would settle the outcome of a set. Djokovic put five of six first serves in and raced to 5-1, a lead that would prove large enough to move ahead two sets to one. Djokovic performed in the fourth set as ineffectively as he had in the second. He fell behind 5-2 and two breaks before finally breaking Federer for the first time. But, two games later,, Federer did not miss a first serve, holding at love with one of his trademark plays, moving in behind an accurate first delivery and putting away a forehand swing volley.

They went fittingly to a fifth set and Federer rescued himself from 15-40 down at 1-2, saving three break points in that game—the last with an ace. But Djokovic pounced when Federer served at 2-3. He laced a backhand passing shot crosscourt with interest to build a 4-2 lead. It seemed as if he had turned the corner permanently, and the feeling grew that he was heading inexorably toward victory. In the seventh game, Djokovic was at 30-30 but double faulted. He reached deuce, standing two elusive points away from a 5-2 lead. But Federer refused to let go. He unleashed a forehand winner behind Djokovic and then the Serbian missed with a forehand down the line.

Serving at 4-5, the Swiss was two points from losing but he came in on the Djokovic forehand and elegantly dispatched a forehand volley into the open court. Obstinate and unwavering, Federer travelled back to 5-5. Thrice Federer was two points from losing again when he served at 5-6, but he held on with an ace and a service winner back to back.

Not long after, Federer found his opening. At 7-7, Djokovic led 30-0 but he dropped the next three points. At 30-40 Djokovic came in with a 121 MPH first serve but Federer’s short return forced Djokovic to approach the net. The Swiss passed his adversary cleanly with a crosscourt forehand and now the 37-year-old had the match on his racquet. He released consecutive aces to reach 8-7, 40-15, as the overwhelmingly pro-Federer crowd could taste the champagne already.

Djokovic refused to surrender. Federer missed his first serve on the first match point and the top seed sent a deep forehand return down the middle. Federer missed with an inside out forehand wide. At 40-30, Federer made his first serve and Djokovic wisely chipped his forehand return. As Federer approached the net, the Serbian was unfazed, passing Federer with ease on a crosscourt forehand. Federer’s forehand soon went away, producing two mistakes to usher in new life for Djokovic.

The next six games went comfortably to the server, but then Djokovic was pressed hard at 11-11. He led 40-0 but later had to avert two break points, coaxing an errant backhand slice pass from Federer on one, moving forward confidently to put away an overhead behind Federer on the other, before holding on his fifth game point. Implacable and resolute, Federer held at love with his twelfth ace of the set and his 25th of the match. It was 12-12.

At 1-1 in that climactic tiebreaker, Federer served-and-volleyed but Djokovic kept the return low, outmaneuvering his opponent by forcing him to push a half-volley wide. Djokovic exploited two more glaring errors off the forehand from Federer, and the Serbian moved to 4-1. Federer took his two service points to close the gap to 4-3, but from here, Djokovic summoned his most persuasive tennis of the match when he needed it.

A 121 MPH first serve to the Federer forehand set up a forehand winner: 5-3 Djokovic. Now he peppered the Federer backhand persistently. But Federer went for an inside out forehand and on the 12th stroke of an absorbing rally. Djokovic lined up a backhand up the line and drove it majestically into the vacant corner for a winner.

Victory had gone to Djokovic the hard way in the end. He had won 14 fewer points in the match than his opponent, and had lost his serve four more times than Federer, getting broken seven times. But for the third time in his career, he had struck back boldly from double match point down to defeat Federer at a major, following up on his 2010 and 2011 U.S. Open triumphs over the Swiss in New York.

But although Federer has lost 21 times across his career after holding at least one match point—including a Wimbledon loss to Kevin Anderson a year ago in the quarterfinals—this was the first time he has lost a final at a Grand Slam event after being in that position. No one had won a Wimbledon men’s final from match point down since 1948, when Bob Falkenburg saved three against John Bromwich.

Asked how tough it was to lose a match when he was twice within a point of victory, Federer replied, “It’s hard to tell. I don’t know if losing 2, 2 and 2 feels better than this one. At the end it doesn’t matter to some extent. You might feel more disappointed, sad, over-angry. I don’t know what I feel right now. I just feel it’s such an incredible opportunity missed. I can’t believe it. It is what it is.”

Djokovic, of course, examined the competitive landscape differently.

“It was probably the most mentally demanding match I was ever a part of. I had the most physically demanding match against Nadal in the finals of Australia that went almost six hours. But mentally this was a different level because of everything,” said Djokovic.

He won this match predominantly on willpower and is now just four majors behind Federer and two short of Nadal. He has raised his record in Grand Slam finals to 16-9. This was a singularly enriching experience for a man who has known triumph on a level few ever feel. It is hard to imagine that he will not eventually surpass Federer and Nadal and stand atop the list of men’s victors at the majors.

Djokovic knows he was nowhere near his best in his latest Wimbledon final, but he still prevailed over one of his primary rivals with a performance he will never forget. That was no mean feat.