Photo courtesy of Marianne Bevis's Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mariannebevis/5972100998/in/photolist-a6JzyA-csctLm-cscsEm-csctrw-csct17-f4CWUn-nWz24z-a6Jzhy-a6JzGq-a6JyPu-a6FHJc-9ZEUDd-ohz8qG-ox2Nmj-bPFs5a-5uzT4n-a6FHgX-f52W2j-2KSf8f-f4MHoM-cJrFYL-cJrGqo-f4MDDe-a3t6Ga-cscu3h-f4MESB-f4MJya-bALMj9-a3vX3q-bALMws-a3t6Sv-bPFshK-cJrFKY-nnjmG7-a3t6yv-cJrGd9-vUQeNJ-f4MCVT-cJrFxj-a3vXjs-np5my3-nnjiL7-npmV3n-npmS96-nr8qnZ-bPFr3t-bPFqaF-bPFsDg-f52X2j-bALPWo
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Here were a couple of pictures from the sports section of the newspapers last year, the day after Djokovic's Wimbledon win .
Image courtesy of rainycat's Flickr page - Federer:
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic and Swiss superstar Roger Federer will meet at the Wimbledon final. They both rank among the greatest tennis players in history, and they will face for the fifth time at a Grand Slam final. Federer won the first such final at the U. S. Open in 2007. Djokovic won the other three, beating Federer at the 2014 and 2015 Wimbledon final, as well as at the U.S. Open final in 2015. It should be noted that Federer defeated Djokovic at the Wimbledon semifinals in 2011.
Federer surprised some by defeating the very physical Nadal in the semifinal, 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. It was a grueling match, and the first time that those two men had met at Wimbledon since their epic Wimbledon final in 2008, won by Nadal in a tough fifth set as darkness was encroaching. Many people consider that the greatest tennis match in history. To no one's real surprise, meanwhile, Djokovic convincingly blasted past the other Spaniard in the semifinal at Wimbledon this year, beating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Federer ranks number three in the world, behind the other two members of the unofficial "Big Three of men's tennis. They are all well over 30 years old with number one ranked Djokovic as the youngest of the three, at age 32. No matter what happens, this meeting assures that someone from the "Big Three" will win at Grand Slam championship for an 11th straight time. Combined, they have won a total of 53 Grand Slam championships through their storied careers, and again, that number will climb to 54 after tomorrow's match.
Federer surprised some by defeating the very physical Nadal in the semifinal, 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. It was a grueling match, and the first time that those two men had met at Wimbledon since their epic Wimbledon final in 2008, won by Nadal in a tough fifth set as darkness was encroaching. Many people consider that the greatest tennis match in history. To no one's real surprise, meanwhile, Djokovic convincingly blasted past the other Spaniard in the semifinal at Wimbledon this year, beating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Federer ranks number three in the world, behind the other two members of the unofficial "Big Three of men's tennis. They are all well over 30 years old with number one ranked Djokovic as the youngest of the three, at age 32. No matter what happens, this meeting assures that someone from the "Big Three" will win at Grand Slam championship for an 11th straight time. Combined, they have won a total of 53 Grand Slam championships through their storied careers, and again, that number will climb to 54 after tomorrow's match.
No matter what happens on Sunday at Centre Court in Wimbledon, the "Big Three" of men's tennis assured that it will be 11 consecutive Grand Slam titles in a row that they have now captured. Two of the "Big Three" have qualified for the final: number one ranked Novak Djokovic, who has won here four times previously, and the great Roger Federer, who has won a record eight Wimbledon titles through his legendary career.
Currently, Djokovic leads the all-time rivalry, having won 25 times, and lost 22 times to Federer. In fact, Djokovic has beaten Federer more than anyone else has. And yet, they are fairly even in the rivalry. Federer has won some huge meetings against Djokovic as well, including that first U. S. Open, and he ended Djokovic's record 41-match win streak to begin the 2011 season.
The two men are tied for the all time ATP Tour record with 39 top-tier hardcourt tournaments won overall, a record that dates back to 1970. Whoever wins tomorrow will take that record, at least temporarily.
Djokovic won the final two Grand Slam tournaments last year, including WImbledon, so he enters as the defending champion seeking his fifth Wimbledon title, and his 16th overall career Grand Slam title. It would be the second of this calendar year if he wins. Federer has won a record eight Wimbledon titles, as well as a record 20 career Grand Slam championships, although he has not won any Grand Slam titles since winning the Australian Open in 2018.
Obviously, this is a clash of two titans in tennis, and it will be fascinating to see what happens, and who comes out on top. Federer will surely be the crowd favorite, as he pretty much always is. But my own prediction is that Djokovic will take it, and earn his fifth overall Wimbledon championship and 16th career Grand Slam title, en route to what I suspect will be another year ending as the number one ranked man in the world.
Let's see what happens tomorrow!
In the women's final earlier today, Simona Halep defeated Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-2, to win her first ever Wimbledon title. She had won last year at the French Open, so this was her second ever career Grand Slam title. She is a former number one ranked player, and a second career Grand Slam championship helps set her apart even more.
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