The 2019 Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer was one of the greatest matches of all time, and perhaps the best display of mental toughness by any tennis player ever.
In front of an incredibly pro-Federer crowd, some of whom clapped at his misses, Djokovic saved two championship points before going on to win the longest singles final ever played at the All England Club and successfully defend his title.
The four-hour and 57-minute-long triumph resulted in the Serb’s 16th major crown, which, at the time, had him third in the all-time list, behind Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Grand Slams have always been the biggest factor when determining who the greatest of all time is, and for the majority of Djokovic’s career, he was trailing his longtime rivals.
Though many were still unconvinced of the idea that he would overtake both Federer and Nadal, tennis legend Boris Becker liked his chances after the Wimbledon victory.
Boris Becker’s reaction to Novak Djokovic winning Wimbledon in 2019
As per the BBC in 2019, Becker said: “Novak is not quite happy yet. He’s one of the greatest of all time, but he wants to be the greatest of all time.
“He should be more than proud to have achieved 16 majors. If you told him that 15 years ago he would have said ‘I don’t believe you’ and he would have taken one or two.
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“Honestly, I think he can overtake them (Federer and Nadal), but I wouldn’t like to say that for sure. The race is on.
“This endless talk of who will be the most successful will continue as long as all three of them are playing.
“I don’t see the end of the road for any of the three. I believe all of them will win more Grand Slams.
“Novak’s work ethic is 24/7, and he actually admitted at the end that Federer, still reaching Grand Slam finals at the age of 37, inspired him.”
Since then, Djokovic has added another eight Grand Slam trophies to his cabinet, and now leads both Federer and Nadal.
- Novak Djokovic: 24 Grand Slam titles
- Rafael Nadal: 22 Grand Slam titles
- Roger Federer: 20 Grand Slam titles
He has claimed three more Australian Opens, two more French Opens, two additional Wimbledon titles, and the 2023 US Open, which marked his 24th and most recent major win.
With Federer and Nadal now retired, Djokovic is still active and in pursuit of winning Grand Slam number 25, which would see him become the outright leader in major titles in both men’s and women’s tennis history.
Boris Becker said people need to wake up to the greatness of Novak Djokovic
Discussing the one-sided crowd in the final, Becker said: “Federer is the greatest of all-time here and has the right to get that love.
“But on the other side, you have to respect a four-time champion a little bit more. I hope next year, if they played again, it would be more even.
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“He came into the party that was the Roger and Rafa party and he became the party pooper.
“Now, after 16 majors, people have got to wake up to the greatness of Novak Djokovic.”
Djokovic and Federer never met in another Grand Slam final, with their 2020 Australian Open semifinal clash marking the last tour-level meeting between the two.
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