Saving two match points at Wimbledon on Federer’s serve and then winning, few have done it. In the final, even less. Can we even talk about it in the plural? After all, who other than Novak Djokovic to accomplish such a feat… Remember, it was 2019, the Serbian was not yet the GOAT, and was still in search of recognition. A grail which then obsessed him, for which he was ready to do anything, including committing regicide in front of the stunned crowd at the All England Club, who were already celebrating the 9th coronation of the Swiss in London.
Logically, Roger Federer would have deserved to win. No bad faith, these are just the words of his executioner. “I beat him 13-12 in the 5th set,” recalls the Serb in a interview for CBS. The sets I won were all in tie-breaks, 7-6, 7-6, 13-12. And overall, if you look at the stats, he was much better in every area. But I won the match. This shows that you can always win if you choose the moments of the match where you perform the best and where you play the best possible when it matters.”
Nole’s mental strength, many see as innate, he says it is acquired. “It’s something that comes with the job. There are different techniques. Conscious breathing plays an important role, especially in moments of tension. The biggest battle is always within. You have doubts and fears. I feel them in every match. »
When Nadal intimidated Djokovic
There was a time when Novak Djokovic even allowed himself to be impressed by his future greatest rival, Rafael Nadal, who very quickly got into his habits in the corridors of Roland-Garros. The kind of thing that can upset you before you confront it. “I have his locker next to mine. So we are very close. And we try to give each other space. But the locker room isn’t very big either. And Nadal jumps everywhere before entering the court. He sprints next to you. I can even hear the music he’s listening to in his headphones. So, you know, it annoys me… At the beginning of my career, I didn’t realize that this was all part of the script. It intimidated me. » A time that less than 20 grand slams cannot experience.