Novak Djokovic continues to rewrite history at Wimbledon. However, this time, he did so with one of his greatest rivals watching from the Royal Box.
After defeating Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, Djokovic booked his place in the 50th Grand Slam quarterfinal of his career and his 16th at Wimbledon. But beyond the numbers, the moment was made all the more special by the presence of tennis great Roger Federer in the crowd.
“Obviously he’s one of the greatest legends of our game in the history of tennis,” Djokovic said after the match. “It’s always extra special when he’s in the stands.”
Interestingly enough, it was the first time Djokovic had played and won a match at Wimbledon with Federer watching. And jokingly referred to as “breaking the curse.”
“I’m glad to break the curse and win in front of him. It’s a big relief,” Novak Djokovic added with a smile.
Asked during his press conference whether the two had caught up afterward, perhaps to continue their humorous “margarita on the beach” banter from earlier in the season.
“We did catch up very shortly… we greeted each other. He congratulated me and said it was a great match. That’s all,” he said. “It was a very short greeting, but it was really nice to have him around.”
The win didn’t come easy for Djokovic. De Minaur, playing some of the best tennis of his career, was up 5-1 in the first set and even had points to extend his lead early in the second.
However, as usual, Djokovic raised his level when it mattered most, winning 14 of the last 15 points in the third set.
The victory marks Djokovic’s eighth consecutive Wimbledon quarterfinal. Despite turning 38 this year and coming off knee surgery, he continues to prove that he remains a serious contender for the title.