What a difference a year makes. Last year, Novak Djokovic entered Wimbledon surrounded by uncertainty. This season, the Serbian arrives as World No. 1 and a leading favourite to capture his fifth trophy at SW19.
It was only 52 weeks ago that Djokovic was No. 21 in the ATP Rankings, and struggling during his recovery from a right elbow injury that at one point saw him lose three consecutive matches for the first time since 2007. But he carried the momentum of a run to the Fever-Tree Championships final into Wimbledon, battling past Rafael Nadal in an epic semi-final before ultimately triumphing with the title on the line against Kevin Anderson.
“I understand that people are questioning whether I can consistently play on this level. Trust me, I am, too,” a smiling Djokovic, who was the lowest-seeded player to win Wimbledon since No. 12 seed Andre Agassi in 1992, said. “At the same time I can't look too far on the road because I have to embrace and cherish this kind of accomplishment.”
Djokovic had shown signs of good form, but it was tough to tell if he could get over the proverbial hump. He reached last year’s Roland Garros quarter-finals, but was upset by surprising Italian Marco Cecchinato. Then at The Queen’s Club, Djokovic let slip a championship point against Marin Cilic. So the Wimbledon win was a massive step in the right direction.
“If you asked me a month and a half ago whether I think I can win Wimbledon, part of me [would say] yes, I hope, but maybe I wasn't that sure at that time of my level of tennis,” Djokovic said after his victory. “This is obviously very pleasing and satisfying to be able to play the way I played in the last couple of tournaments, in Queen's and Wimbledon. This is going to be a huge confidence boost and springboard for whatever is coming up.”
SW19 served as a launching pad for Djokovic. Not only was he back on track, but he was on a path that led him to some of his best tennis ever. The Serbian has won five titles since then, all of which came at either Grand Slam championships or ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
Djokovic would regain the No. 1 ATP Ranking — finishing atop the year-end standings for the fifth time. And suddenly, his early-season struggles felt like they came multiple seasons ago.
The 32-year-old won 26 consecutive Grand Slam matches — including titles at the US Open and the Australian Open — to put himself on the verge of a second ‘Nole Slam’ at Roland Garros earlier this month. However, an in-form Dominic Thiem ended those dreams in the semi-finals in a five-set thriller to reach his second consecutive final in Paris.
“I don't think I have done too much wrong, to be honest, in the entire tournament. This match was always going to be tough because Dominic is a fantastic player on clay, in general, but especially on clay,” Djokovic said. “It's just unfortunate, these kind of matches, one or two points decide a winner.”
Now, the Serbian will look to get back on track at The Championships. Djokovic has a 65-10 record at the All England Club, and he enters the event with a 28-6 mark in 2019.
It will not be easy for Djokovic against wily veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber, who defeated him earlier this year at the BNP Paribas Open and then pushed him to three sets at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The top seed leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 10-2.
But whereas last year, it was tough to surmise what level Djokovic would bring to the historic grass, that is no longer the case. The World No. 1 is ready to chase the crown.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2xgl902
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