Novak Djokovic

Roger Federer played the final tennis match of his career alongside Rafael Nadal in a doubles match in the Laver Cup at O2 Arena in London on Friday, and despite a loss to Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock, his exit from the game is a moment tennis fans will never forget.

Novak Djokovic, who had been one of Federer's toughest competitors and longtime friends, described the moment while speaking with reporters Saturday:

"One of the most beautiful moments I've ever experienced in my life. What got me the most emotional was when his children came up and I saw them tearing up. Sorry Roger, I don't want to tear you up again but it was a beautiful moment."

Djokovic and Federer faced each other 50 times, with Djokovic leading the head-to-head 27-23, including 13-6 in finals. They last met in the 2020 Australian Open, and Djokovic defeated Federer in the semifinals.

Federer announced he would be retiring from tennis on Sept. 15, revealing that the Laver Cup would mark his final event.

The 41-year-old retires with 20 Grand Slams and 103 singles titles. He competed in more than 1,500 career matches and holds the record for the most consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 in the world at 237 weeks.

Novak Djokovic is still holding out hope he'll be able to play in the 2023 Australian Open despite his refusal to undergo COVID-19 vaccination.

"It's really not in my hands right now," Djokovic told reporters Thursday. "So I'm hoping I will get some positive news."

Djokovic was deported from Australia in January, with the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, and health minister, Greg Hunt, saying he had no "valid" excuse for a medical exemption (via the Guardian). He was also barred from playing in this year's U.S. Open because of his vaccination status.

The United States bars unvaccinated adults from entering the country in virtually all cases, though there are some exceptions. Djokovic does not qualify under any of the exceptions.

If Djokovic wants to clear his own path to play, the easiest answer remains for him to undergo vaccination. However, the Serb has maintained he will continue to refuse vaccination regardless of how it impacts his tennis career.

"I don't have any regrets. I mean, I do feel sad that I wasn't able to play [at the U.S. Open], but that was a decision that I made, and I knew what the consequences would be," Djokovic said. "So I accepted them, and that's it."

This week's Laver Cup is the first time Djokovic has played in a competitive tennis tournament since winning Wimbledon in July. His inability to play in tournaments has led to Djokovic dropping from No. 1 in the world to No. 7.

Rafael Nadal has also passed him on the all-time Grand Slams list, sitting one ahead with 22 championships.

Roger Federer is clearly among the best players in men's tennis history, but he doesn't have a clear answer for the Greatest of All Time debate between him, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

"How can you compare?" Federer asked, per Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press. "What’s better? To win when you're old or when you're young? I have no idea, you know? Is it better to win on clay or grass? Don't know. Is it better to have super dominant years or come back from injury? I don't know. It really is impossible to grasp."

Federer long held the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles and earned his 20th at the 2018 Australian Open. His two rivals in the Big Three have since passed him, with Nadal currently having 22 and Djokovic sitting at 21.

The 41-year-old Federer announced his retirement last week after struggling with injuries over the past few years.

It helped reignite the arguments over the best ever, which Federer admitted was "a good conversation" and "definitely a fun debate."

All three could have been even more dominant if not for having to face each other during the same era. Twice in his career, Federer won three of the four majors with only a French Open Final loss to Nadal keeping him from the calendar Grand Slam.

Nadal has clearly been the best on clay, winning 14 times at Roland Garros, while Djokovic's nine wins at the Australian Open are also a record. Federer was the most dominant on grass, winning Wimbledon a record eight times.

Federer also had arguably the most impressive run earlier in his career, reaching 10 straight Slam finals while staying No. 1 for 237 straight weeks. Nadal and Djokovic still have enough accomplishments to continue the debate long after all of them retire.

"Everybody calling each other 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' 'GOAT.' I'm like, Come on, OK? There cannot be possibly that many 'GOATs,'" Federer joked. "In Switzerland, we have a lot of them, but they're in the fields."

Novak Djokovic honored Roger Federer with an Instagram post on Friday following his longtime on-court rival's retirement announcement on Thursday.

Novak Djokovic on Federer's retirement pic.twitter.com/nbceOBpGFG

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) September 16, 2022

Djokovic (21 Grand Slam titles) and Federer (20) rank second and third on the all-time major championship list in men's tennis history behind only Rafael Nadal (22).

The superstars faced off 50 times on the ATP Tour during their decorated careers, with the final meeting coming at the 2020 Australian Open. Djokovic held a slight 27-23 advantage in those head-to-head meetings, including six wins over their last seven matchups.

Five of those clashes came in a Grand Slam final, three at Wimbledon and two in the US Open, with Djokovic winning four of those marquee matches.

"Obviously Roger is an icon of our sport and people around the world love him," Djokovic said in 2021. "They love watching him play, love seeing him around. He's very important for our sport on and off the court."

Injuries derailed the latter stages of Federer's career as he appeared in just three Grand Slam draws since the start of 2020. He still performed at a high level when healthy, reaching the 2020 Australian Open semifinals and 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals.

His peak lasted nearly a decade, winning 17 of his 20 major titles between 2003 and 2012, and he probably would have won more during the second half of his career if not for the presence of two other dominant players in the same era, Djokovic and Nadal.

"I enjoy playing against him. I really feel like we get the best out of each other," Federer said about Djokovic in 2021. "We have different playing styles, [so] it almost depends on the day, which court we're playing on and how the matches have been leading up to that match."

The Swiss sensation's final official tournament will feature his Serbian counterpart as a teammate. Both players will represent Team Europe, alongside Nadal, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andy Murray, against Team World in the 2022 Laver Cup next week.

Team World features Taylor Fritz, Félix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Schwartzman, Frances Tiafoe, Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock.

It makes Team Europe a heavy favorite on paper and gives Federer a golden opportunity to end his Hall of Fame career with one more tournament title.

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2022 National Bank Open in Montreal, which begins Monday.

Djokovic is unvaccinated against COVID-19, which makes him ineligible to compete in tournaments in Canada or the United States based on the countries' guidelines.

The season's final major, the U.S. Open, is scheduled to get underway Aug. 29 in New York City.

Djokovic was deported from Australia in January after his visa was revoked because he failed to meet the country's COVID-19 immunization requirements, preventing him from playing in the Australian Open. His medical exemption based on a positive COVID-19 test result from December had originally been approved.

The 35-year-old Serbian was cleared to play the clay- and grass-court seasons in Europe. He reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and then captured the Wimbledon championship for his 21st major title.

After his triumph at the All England Club, the three-time U.S. Open champion confirmed he still had no plans to get a COVID-19 shot.

"I'm not vaccinated and I'm not planning to get vaccinated, so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption," Djokovic told reporters.

Djokovic played the 2021 U.S. Open, reaching the final before falling short against Daniil Medvedev. A win in that match would have completed the calendar Grand Slam.

He provided an update on his preparations for this year's event Saturday.

"I am preparing as if I will be allowed to compete, while I await to hear if there is any room for me to travel to U.S.," Djokovic wrote on Instagram. "Fingers crossed!"

I just wanted to take a moment and say to all of you how grateful I am to see so many messages of support and love from all around the world these days. 🙏🏼

I wasn’t expecting it, and that’s why it feels so mindblowing. Just wanted to say THANK YOU. 🙏🏼❤️

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) July 30, 2022

Meanwhile, men's players confirmed for the National Bank Open include Medvedev, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

Medvedev, a Russian, was among those banned from taking part in Wimbledon by tournament organizers because of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine.

World No. 1 men's tennis player Novak Djokovic said Saturday that he is preparing for the U.S. Open despite the unlikelihood of him being allowed to compete because of his COVID-19 vaccination status.

According to Reuters (h/t ESPN), Djokovic posted the following on social media regarding the U.S. Open: "I am preparing as if I will be allowed to compete, while I await to hear if there is any room for me to travel to US. Fingers crossed!"

Djokovic has maintained that he will not receive the COVID-19 vaccination, which will almost certainly keep him out of the U.S. Open since non-American citizens traveling to the United States are required to be fully vaccinated before boarding a flight.

The Associated Press reported last week that Djokovic was included on the entry list for the U.S. Open, but his vaccination status wasn't taken into account when placing him on the list.

Earlier this week, Djokovic confirmed to Adam Zagoria of Forbes that he would not get vaccinated in order to play in the U.S. Open, saying, "It's really up to the U.S. government to make a decision whether or not they allow unvaccinated people to go into the country."

Djokovic's vaccination status has been a hot topic throughout the year, as it prevented him from competing in the Australian Open in January.

The 35-year-old Djokovic fell just short of winning the single-season Grand Slam last year, winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, before falling in the U.S. Open final to Daniil Medvedev.

This year, Djokovic was knocked out in the French Open quarterfinals, but he bounced back to win Wimbledon for the seventh time in his career.

Overall, Djokovic is a 21-time Grand Slam champion, which is just one behind Rafael Nadal's Open Era record.

As of now, it doesn't look like Djokovic will have the opportunity to tie Nadal's record, but Nadal should have the chance to extend it.

The 2022 U.S. Open is scheduled to commence on Aug. 29 in New York City and will run through Sept. 11.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic overcame an early deficit to defeat Nick Kyrgios in four sets in the 2022 Wimbledon men's singles final at All England Club in London on Sunday.

The 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) win gave Djokovic a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title, putting him one short of the Open era record of five straight co-held by Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg.

Magnificent.

In its 100 years, Centre Court has seen few champions like @DjokerNole#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/vffvL2f08Q

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2022

Djokovic is now tied with American tennis legend Pete Sampras for the second-most career men's Wimbledon singles titles in the Open era with seven, just one behind Federer's record of eight.

Sunday's victory marked career Grand Slam title No. 21 as well, which is the second most of all time behind only Nadal's 22.

Much like his previous two matches, Djokovic got off to a slow start Sunday, getting broken once and dropping the opening set to Kyrgios.

In the quarterfinals, Nole was on the ropes, dropping the first two sets to Italian Jannik Sinner before roaring back to win. He also lost the first set to Briton Cameron Norrie in the semifinals, only to win the next three sets en route to victory.

After Kyrgios took the first set, it was noted by Jose Morgado of Diario Record that Djoker had never taken a set from Kyrgios in his career to that point:

Nicholas Kyrgios takes the first set of the #Wimbledon final against 6-times champion Novak Djokovic, 6-4.

Lost 5 points on serve all set, three in the last game -- the only deuce game of the set.

31 minutes.

Djokovic is yet to win a set vs. Kyrgios in his career: 0-5. pic.twitter.com/Ee32yO5XqS

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) July 10, 2022

The drought ended in the next set, though, when Djokovic bounced back by breaking Kyrgios once and evening things at 1-1.

It didn't come easy for the Serbian star, however, as Kyrgios showed off ridiculous speed in tracking down a drop shot and put Djokovic in a hole while on serve to close out the set:

The speed from @NickKyrgios 😱#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/2EpqvincWo

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

Despite being down 0-40, Djokovic battled back and won the game, sending the match to a third set.

Things started to unravel a bit for Kyrgios during the second set from a concentration perspective, as he began yelling at the supporters in his player's box after many of his miscues:

Kyrgios constantly looking over at his box to make sure they’re cheering enthusiastically enough for him is not the type of mental makeup you need to beat Djokovic

— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) July 10, 2022

Kyrgios misses shot, blames his box for it.

Rinse, repeat.#Wimbledon

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) July 10, 2022

Unforced Error count through two sets:

Kyrgios: 0

Kyrgios Player Box: 11

Crazy how many shots they are missing from up there

— The Big Three (@Big3Tennis) July 10, 2022

That carried over into the third set as well, which Djokovic also won on the strength of a key break of serve.

The Aussie even had it out with the chair umpire, imploring him to eject a woman who he claimed was drunk and heckling him:

https://twitter.com/Mike_Dickson_DM/status/1546144777137160198

Mixed in with the drama was some unbelievable tennis, including a between-the-legs winner from Kyrgios in response to a Djokovic lob:

KYRGIOS MADE THIS LOOK TOO EASY 😳 pic.twitter.com/NZq6cbZ2oM

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

The fourth set was largely a stalemate with neither player managing to break another, leading to a tiebreak. Kyrgios staved off a pair of match points, but Djoker finally put it away and celebrated the victory.

Despite the loss, Wimbledon 2022 represented a huge step forward in the career of the 27-year-old Kyrgios.

By virtue of Nadal having to pull out of the semifinals after exacerbating an abdominal injury in a quarterfinal win over Taylor Fritz, Kyrgios made it to his first career Grand Slam final.

Kyrgios had never made it beyond the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam previously, but the world No. 40 played some of the best tennis of his life in London and made it to the end even though he was unseeded.

As is often the case, Kyrgios struggled to keep his composure for much of Sunday's final, but he still gave Djokovic all he could handle and stood toe-to-toe with one of the all-time greats on Centre Court.

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title of the year after winning three in 2021. He was not permitted to play in the 2022 Australian Open because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19 amid the country's coronavirus guidelines, and he was eliminated by Nadal in the quarterfinals at the French Open.

Now, Djokovic is back on top of his game, and he will begin preparations for the 2022 U.S. Open, which will take place in late August and early September in New York City.

If Djokovic can his fourth title in the Big Apple, he will tie Nadal for the most Grand Slam men's singles titles in tennis history.

Novak Djokovic faces a new challenger and a unique situation as he tries to repeat as Wimbledon champion on Sunday.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner, including six Wimbledon titles, takes on Nick Kyrgios in the 2022 men's singles final.

Djokovic ran through the usual gauntlet of six matches to reach the championship match. He eliminated Cameron Norrie in four sets on Friday in the only one of the two men's semifinals that were played.

Kyrgios advanced to the final on Thursday by way of a walkover after Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament with an abdominal injury.

Kyrgios will be playing in his first Grand Slam singles final. His previous best finish at Wimbledon was a quarterfinal run in 2014. He does have experience playing in a Grand Slam final. He won the Australian Open men's doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis earlier this season.

Djokovic will be the favorite at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, but the challenge could be tougher than previous finals because of Kyrgios' extra few days of rest.

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Wimbledon Men's Final Info

Date: Sunday, July 10

Start Time: 9 a.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and Watch ESPN.

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Preview

Djokovic has the clear edge in Grand Slam final experience, and he is the superior player compared to Kyrgios.

However, Kyrgios could have more of a chance against the six-time Wimbledon champion because of his added days off that were caused by Nadal's withdrawal.

There was no guarantee that Kyrgios, even in his best form on grass, would have beaten Nadal, who was chasing the season-long Grand Slam after his wins at the Australian and French Opens.

Kyrgios faced a relatively easy run up to the semifinals. His only major upset was over fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round. The Australian's only other win over a seeded player was against Filip Krajinovic, who was seeded 26th.

Djokovic eliminated top 10 seeds in consecutive rounds to reach the final, but he was not perfect against either Jannik Sinner or Norrie.

The No. 1 seed lost the first two sets in his quarterfinal match with Sinner and dropped the opening set of his semifinal against Norrie. That may open the door for Kyrgios to take the first set on Sunday.

Capturing the opening frame may be mandatory for Kyrgios to upset the establishment of the "Big Three" of Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer on the men's singles title board.

If Djokovic wins the first set for the first time since the fourth round, he should pave an easy path to his seventh Wimbledon crown and 21st major title. Djokovic can also take away the potential pro-Kyrgios crowd with a fast start.

Kyrgios should have a fair amount of confidence going into Sunday's final. He is in his best form in years, is well rested from the semifinal walkover and grass is his preferred surface. The Aussie also owns two head-to-head wins over Djokovic.

Kyrgios is one of the few players on the ATP Tour who can claim he has a winning record against Djokovic. Kyrgios defeated Djokovic twice during the 2017 season on hard courts in Acapulco, Mexico, and Indian Wells, California.

Of course, a lot has changed over the last five years, and Djokovic has proved to be the best men's grasscourt player. Djokovic won Wimbledon on three occasions since his last clash with Kyrgios.

Djokovic should win the match, no matter how long it goes, but his key should be to rediscover his first-set form and allow no way for Kyrgios to gain momentum in the final.

Novak Djokovic is through to the quarterfinals in Wimbledon following a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Tim van Rijthoven at the All England Club on Sunday.

Van Rijthoven upset No. 15 Reilly Opelka in the second round and took down No. 22 Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets in the third round. The 104th-ranked player in the world, the Dutchman was perhaps the biggest surprise participant in the round of 16.

Djokovic had little time for Van Rijthoven's Cinderella story in the first set. He earned a service break in the second game to go ahead 4-1 and up 5-2 broke his unseeded challenger again to claim the set.

Stunning Play! 🤩 @DjokerNole takes the first set over Van Rijthoven, 6-2.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/jiW5yahRsV

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 3, 2022

Some fans were probably expecting the six-time Wimbledon champion to roll from there. Van Rijthoven had other plans.

Serving at 1-2 and down 30-40, he held firm to deny Djokovic the break in the game. He then earned a critical break later in the set to jump ahead 4-3.

Djokovic was unable to extend the set despite having four break-point opportunities in the 10th game. Van Rijthoven displayed impressive resilience to level the match. He had 17 unforced errors in the second frame but doubled up Djokovic's nine winners

Damn, Van Rijthoven is good...maybe not beat-Djokovic-good...but really good...And what a pity the guy gets zero ranking points - ie. he'll still have to qualify for events - after this. #wimbledon

— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) July 3, 2022

Game and second set - van Rijthoven 🎾

Tim van Rijthoven seals the second set with an ace!

(6-2, 4-6)

It's his first appearance on Centre Court and he has just taken a set off the 20-time Grand Slam champion 👏

Listen to live commentary on @BBCSounds 👇#BBCTennis #Wimbledon

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) July 3, 2022

At a different point his career, Djokovic might have gotten frustrated and allowed himself to make a number of sloppy mistakes following the second set. Instead, he was brutally efficient against Van Rijthoven in the third to reassert control.

Djokovic kicked things into another gear, and Van Rijthoven simply had no answer.

And this set of tennis by Novak Djokovic reminds me a guy named Novak Djokovic

— Patrick McEnroe (@PatrickMcEnroe) July 3, 2022

This #Djokovic level in the 3rd set against Van Rijthoven is breathtaking and scary at the same time. You have to watch it to believe it. #Wimbledon

— Sudipto Ganguly (@Sudipto_Reuters) July 3, 2022

Djokovic after losing the 2nd set #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/A0aWVtic6L

— PropSwap (@PropSwap) July 3, 2022

The same story played out in the fourth set. The only source of drama was whether Djokovic would have the win wrapped up before the 11 p.m. curfew.

It’s Djokovic against the clock atm…

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) July 3, 2022

Although Van Rijthoven made the 20-time Grand Slam champion work on nearly each and every point, he only had so many tools in his arsenal. He was fighting a losing battle from the third set on.

Djokovic will play Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals after the Italian dispatched of Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. They've faced off at an ATP Tour event just once, with Djokovic claiming a straight-set victory in the 2021 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.