Novak Djokovic Withdraws from National Bank Open in Montreal; Remains Unvaccinated
Aug 4, 2022
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action during the Mens Singles Final against Nick Kyrgios of Australia (not pictured) at The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club at Wimbledon on July 10, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2022 National Bank Open in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January after his visa was revoked because he failed to meet the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. 🙏🏼❤️
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.
Novak Djokovic Says He's Preparing for 2022 US Open Despite Vaccine Rules
Jul 30, 2022
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action during the Mens Singles Final against Nick Kyrgios of Australia (not pictured) at The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club at Wimbledon on July 10, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
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.
Novak Djokovic Beats Nick Kyrgios to Win Wimbledon; 1 Major Title Behind Rafael Nadal
Jul 10, 2022
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns to Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the final of the men's singles on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
Wimbledon Tennis 2022 Men's Final: TV Schedule, Start Time and Live Stream Info
Jul 8, 2022
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 08: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates against Cameron Norrie of Great Britain during the Mens' Singles Semi Final match on day twelve of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 08, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
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.
Wimbledon Men's Final Info
Date: Sunday, July 10
Start Time: 9 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com and Watch ESPN.
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.
Report: Rafael Nadal Plans to Play with Abdominal Tear Injury in Wimbledon Semifinals
Jul 7, 2022
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 06: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays against Taylor Fritz (not seen) of The United States during their Men's Singles Quarter Final match on day ten of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 06, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Despite suffering through a painful abdominal injury during his quarterfinal win over Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, Rafael Nadal reportedly plans to play his Wimbledon semifinal match against Nick Kyrgios on Friday.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca (h/t Ben Rothenberg of Racquet Magazine), Nadal wants to play Friday despite dealing with a seven-millimeter tear in his abdominal area.
Remarkably, the second-seeded Nadal outlasted Fritz, 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4), in the quarters to put himself just two wins away from a third career Wimbledon title.
Per ESPN, Nadal's father signaled to him from the stands to quit at one point during the match, and Rafa admitted afterward that there were "a lot of moments" when he doubted he would be able to finish.
During the on-court interview following his win over Fritz, Nadal was noncommittal about the semifinals: "I don't know. Honestly, I can't give you a clear answer. I don't know exactly what I have. It's clear something's not right. I'm obviously worried."
Nadal also said the abdominal issue began a week earlier but got significantly worse during the first set of his quarterfinal match.
If the Spaniard does attempt to fight through the pain Friday, he will face a Grand Slam semifinal debutant in Kyrgios who is playing some of the best tennis of his career.
The 27-year-old Aussie has always been an elite talent, but inconsistency has often held him back.
Though unseeded, Kyrgios beat No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round and Cristian Garin in the quarters.
Kyrgios is a six-time tournament winner on the ATP Tour and was once ranked as high as No. 13 in the world, but his best Grand Slam result before this year's Wimbledon was reaching the quarters at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open in 2015.
While Kyrgios is just 3-6 in his career against Nadal and has lost each of the past three, he did beat Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014.
He may also have a marked advantage over the 22-time Grand Slam champion on Friday, given Nadal's injury woes.
Provided Nadal vs. Kyrgios happens, the winner of that match will meet the winner of No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 9 Cameron Norrie in the final.
Wimbledon 2022: Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios Wins Highlight Monday's Results
Jul 4, 2022
Australia's Nick Kyrgios celebrates after beating Brandon Nakashima of the US in a men's singles fourth round match on day eight of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
A calendar Grand Slam remains in play for Rafael Nadal, who advanced to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon on Monday.
Nadal beat No. 21 seed Botic van de Zandschulp. Elsewhere in the men's singles draw, Nick Kyrgios outlasted Brandon Nakashima in a five-setter.
Men's Singles Results
No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. No. 21 Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(6)
No. 11 Taylor Fritz def. Jason Kubler 6-3, 6-1, 6-4
Cristian Garin def. No. 19 Alex de Minaur 2-6, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-4, 7-6(6)
Nick Kyrgios def. Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-2
Kyrgios' upset of fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas made for great theater. Beyond the drama they generated through their four-set battle, the two were clearly attempting to get under one another's skin.
On Monday, the Australian seemed to be more singularly focused on the task at hand.
This is interesting. Nick Kyrgios, who has seemingly been dealing with pain in his arm/shoulder, digs into his well of professionalism (!) to gut out a two sets to one lead over Nakashima. In contrast to Saturday's antics, Kyrgios has barely emoted or said a word today.
Kyrgios had to dig out of an early hole after Nakashima took the first set. Dropping serve at 4-5 provided the breakthrough Nakashima needed.
In the second and third sets, Kyrgios was determined not to let that happen again. He registered 19 aces and one double-fault over the two sets and won 49 of his 61 service points.
Nakashima appeared to retake control of the match when he earned two service breaks and cruised in the fourth set.
But Kyrgios hit the reset button during the break in play and dominated the decisive frame. He hit 16 winners to five unforced errors and won 15-of-19 first-service points.
Nadal didn't have anywhere near the same trouble with Van de Zandschulp. Van de Zandschulp mounted some resistance in the third set, but it was far too late to make a difference on the match.
The Dutchman simply had no answers for Nadal's serve. The two-time Wimbledon champion won 73 percent of his first-service points and 66 percent of his points on second serve.
Three of Van de Zandschulp's four break-point opportunities came in the third set, when he was attempting to dig himself out of a massive hole.
When Nadal couldn't capitalize on triple match point in the tiebreaker, it looked like the southpaw might have to go to a fourth set. He quickly regained his focus and clinched the victory.
In the women's singles draw, Simona Halep made a major statement to the remaining field with a straightforward straight-set upset of No. 4 Paula Badosa.
The 2019 Wimbledon champion has yet to drop a set and lost only 22 games through her first four matches. That efficiency carried over into Monday as she needed just one hour to earn the win.
2019 champ Simona Halep easily beats the world #4 Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-2 in 59 minutes to reach the QFs at Wimbledon for the 5th time.
16th career Grand Slam QF for the former #1, who is imo the favorite for the title in 2022 atm.
It was a triumphant return to Centre Court for Halep, who hadn't played there since the 2019 final.
"Actually, I was more nervous yesterday than today," she said after the match. "It's very special to be back I missed a lot, to play in Wimbledon. Three years was a lot ... It's always a pleasure to come back and to have the chance to play on Centre Court."
Halep will play Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals in what might be a de facto championship since she and Anisimova have been two of the top performers at the All England Club this year.
On the heels of upsetting Coco Gauff in the third round, the 20-year-old American ended Harmony Tan's Cinderella run.
Rafael Nadal Advances to Wimbledon Quarterfinals with Win vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
Jul 4, 2022
TOPSHOT - Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates winning a point against Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp during their round of 16 men's singles tennis match on the eighth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2022. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
No. 2 Rafael Nadal clinched a spot in the Wimbledon 2022 quarterfinals after a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) win over No. 21 Botic van de Zandschulp.
With the win, Nadal improves to 18-0 in Grand Slams this year after already winning the Australian Open and French Open. It's also his third straight time reaching at least the quarterfinal of Wimbledon after falling short in his previous five appearances.
The latest win was another dominant performance for the Spanish star with 70 percent of service points in the match, including nine aces.
The 36-year-old finished with 29 winners and just 17 unforced errors across the three sets.
Van de Zandschulp was seeking his second career appearance in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, but his impressive run at the All England Club came to an end on Monday.
Despite Nadal's talent and momentum heading into the round, there was concern Van de Zandschulp's style of play would cause him problems:
After all, the Dutch player earned relatively easy wins over Feliciano Lopez and Richard Gasquet earlier in the tournament.
The first set showed why as Van de Zandschulp matched the superstar with no breaks through the first nine games. It took until the 10th game for Nadal to finally gain an advantage, breaking his opponent to win the set 6-4.
Nadal is so great ... treat to watch him running after ball all over the court ... and keeping the opponent on toes 👍🏽
— Zubair Faisal Abbasi (@zubairabbasi) July 4, 2022
There were some bright spots for Van de Zandschulp in the third set, including his first break of the match:
Zandschulp goes from 40-love down to break Nadal’s serve in the first game of Set 3. Huge chance. He’s held serve well at times in this match, so he can fancy his chances in this set.
Nadal earned a break back in the next game, but he couldn't serve it out after going up 5-2. Van de Zandschulp won three straight games and eventually forced a tiebreak.
After Nadal got to triple match point in the tiebreak, Van de Zandschulp again fought back to even the tiebreak at 6-6.
It still wasn't enough to win a set, with Nadal getting the key points down the stretch to finish things off.
The aggressiveness paid off for the veteran, who finished 17-of-26 on net points while keeping his errors low. Even with some mistakes in third set, Nadal did enough to win in two hours and 21 minutes.
Nadal is now just three wins away from his third Wimbledon title and third Grand Slam of the year. Fans are also likely looking ahead to a dream final between him and No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
No. 11 seed Taylor Fritz stands in the way with a quarterfinal matchup against Nadal on Wednesday. The American has won four matches without dropping a single set, although he is yet to face a seeded player.
Wimbledon Appeals $1M in Fines from WTA for Banning Russian, Belarusian Players
Jul 4, 2022
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29: A detailed view of the Wimbledon Logo from outside The All England Tennis and Croquet Club on June 29, 2020 in Wimbledon, England. The Wimbledon Tennis Championships were due to start today, but were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
The organizations behind Wimbledon are appealing the $1 million in fines levied against them by the WTA for banning Russian and Belarusian players, per Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press.
The Women's Tennis Association announced a $750,000 fine against the Lawn Tennis Association, the British federation for the sport, as well as a $250,000 fine against the All England Club, the host of Wimbledon.
The Grand Slam tournament announced in April that players from Russia and Belarus would not be eligible to play after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"It's the subject of a legal process, so I can't comment specifically on that,” All England Club CEO Sally Bolton said of the appeal Monday. "We stand by the decision we made. We're deeply disappointed at the reaction of the tours to that decision, and I probably can't say any more than that at this point in time, I'm afraid."
Bolton said she doesn't know whether the ATP Tour, the men's tennis organization, plans to levy a fine as well.
"We're still waiting to hear from them," she said.
Tennis was one of several sports to announce bans for athletes following the invasion of Ukraine. Figure skating and track and field didn't allow Russian or Belarusian competitors in their international events, while the Russian men's soccer team was excluded from World Cup qualifying.
World men's No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and No. 8 Andrey Rublev, both Russians, could not compete at Wimbledon. On the women's side, No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 20 Victoria Azarenka, both Belarusians, were among the notable players barred.
Medvedev has struggled at the grass-court event, only reaching as far as the fourth round, although he is the reigning U.S. Open winner. Sabalenka was a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year, while Azarenka has reached the semis twice.
Novak Djokovic Beats Tim van Rijthoven, Advances to Wimbledon 2022 Quarterfinals
Jul 3, 2022
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts to breaking Netherlands' Tim van Rijthoven's serve during their round of 16 men's singles tennis match on the seventh day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2022. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
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.
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
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
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.
Roger Federer Hopes He Can Return to Wimbledon for 1 More Run amid Injury Recovery
Jul 3, 2022
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Roger Federer of Switzerland greets the audience during the Centre Court Centenary Celebration during day seven of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 03, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
Roger Federer isn't ready to close the Wimbledon chapter of his career.
The tennis legend took part Sunday in a ceremony celebrating past champions and left the door open for a return to the grass of the All England Club.
Federer hasn't competed in an ATP Tour event since his 2021 quarterfinal run at Wimbledon. He indicated he's looking to return to a somewhat regular competitive schedule in 2023.
At 40, Federer has already extended his career well beyond other greats. Pete Sampras was 30 when he made his last appearance at Wimbledon in 2002. Bjorn Borg retired when he was only 26.
The odds of Federer lifting one last trophy at Centre Court wouldn't be low in the event he enters the 2023 draw. But the Swiss certainly deserves at least one more run in London to celebrate his legacy in the Grand Slams.
