Novak Djokovic Defeats Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has defeated South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in a three-set match at Wimbledon’s men’s single final today. The 6-2 6-2 7-6 victory marks Njokovic’s fourth Wimbledon win and 13th Grand Slam title overall, his last having been won at the 2016 French Open.

“The last couple of years haven’t been easy,” said Djokovic of the win. “I had surgery and was absent from the tour for six months. This was my first grand slam final after a couple of years. There was no better place to make my comeback. This is a sacred place for tennis. I always dreamed of holding this trophy when I was a young boy.”

“Playing against Novak isn’t easy,” added Anderson. “Congratulations to him. I’m not feeling as fresh now as I was coming into the week. But this is an amazing tournament for all of us. That’s what it had to take for me to get here. I would have given another 21 hours to have the opportunity to play out here.”

After suffering an elbow injury that caused Djokovic to withdraw from the 2017 Wimbledon quarterfinal, his win at Wimbledon today marks his first major victory in more than two years. In yesterday’s semifinal match, Djokovic had defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal, the world number one, in a five-set match.

Meanwhile, had he won today’s match, Anderson would have gained his first Grand Slam title. He came close at the 2017 US Open final, but lost against Spain’s Rafael Nadal. At this year’s Wimbledon men’s semifinal, he defeated America’s John Isner in a gruelling match that lasted six hours and 35 minutes, the second longest in Wimbledon history.

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