Djokovic and Halep Crowned Champions at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic fended off two match points to outlast Roger Federer in a thrilling Wimbledon final which lasted 5 hours and 2 minutes, making it the longest Wimbledon final in history. Djokovic triumphed 7-6 1-6 7-6 4-6 13-12 in the first men’s singles match ever to use the new 12-12 tiebreak in the 5th set to win his second Grand Slam of the year after winning the Australian Open in February.

Federer, who turns 38 on the 8th August this year, can be proud of a fantastic tournament which saw him compete in his first Grand Slam final since last year’s Australian Open. By staying with Djokovic over 5 hours, Federer also proved that he certainly isn’t incapable of playing long matches because of his age. However, Federer will surely be reeling at having failed to serve out the match despite holding a 40-15 lead, hence missing the chance to win his 21st Grand Slam.

Djokovic meanwhile has now picked up his 16th Grand Slam title, putting him just 4 behind Roger Federer and 2 behind Rafael Nadal, who added his 18th slam in Paris this year. Djokovic is still therefore a long way behind Federer in the race to be considered the greatest of all time (the GOAT for short) but is quickly catching up, having been 7 behind Federer going into Wimbledon this time last year.

In a much less competitive Women’s final, Simona Halep crushed a tired looking Serena Williams 6-2 6-2, producing one the best performances of her career. Halep’s ability to change the direction of the rally and deal with Williams’s power like no other player this fortnight proved decisive in her claiming her first Wimbledon title and her 2nd Grand Slam title.

Halep, who started Wimbledon as the world number 7, will rise 3 places up to 4th in the world as she continues her quest to regain the world number 1 ranking she achieved last year before Naomi Osaka knocked her off top spot. Williams’s quest for her first Grand Slam title after becoming a mother continues as she loses yet another Grand Slam final (her 3rd final loss in 2 years). Many are now calling into question her ability to maintain her level over a whole fortnight, considering how heavy all of her defeats in Grand Slam finals have been in recent times.

Written by Emre Saridogan