Novak Djokovic admits Roger Federer ‘the far better player’ in 2019 Wimbledon final
Novak Djokovic says Roger Federer was āby far the better playerā in the epic 2019 Wimbledon final that the Serbian won.
That match is considered by many to be the greatest in history. At four hours and 57 minutes it was certainly the longest.
Djokovic came out on top 7ā6, 1ā6, 7ā6, 4ā6, 13ā12, although he believes the scoreline reflects the way the key moments went, not who was the better player on the day.
āI beat him 13-12 in the 5th set,ā Djokovic told 60 Minutes of that match. āThe sets that I won were all won in tiebreaks.
āOverall, if you see stats, he was the far better player in every aspect, but I won the match.
āSo that actually tells you can still win if you pick and choose which moments of the match youāre peaking and playing your best when it matters.ā
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Novak Djokovic explains source of mental strength
Anyone who watched that Wimbledon final in 2019, or any other significant Novak Djokovic match in his career, will know how big a master the Serbian is at winning the big points.
That has always been put down to his incredible mental strength and rightly so. He is, after all, the biggest clutch player the game has ever seen.
He, though, has rejected any idea that he achieves that by ignoring doubts or negative thoughts. Itās actually the opposite.
āIn the moments when youāre under tension I might appear locked in but, trust me, thereās a storm inside,ā he said.
āThe biggest battle is always within. You have your doubts and fears. I feel it every single match. I donāt like this kind of mindset that I see a lot in sports. āJust think positive thoughts. Be optimistic. Thereās no room for failure. Thereās no room for doubts & stuff like this.ā
āItās impossible. You are a human being. The difference between the guys who are able to be the biggest champions and the ones that are struggling to get to the highest level is the ability to not stay in those emotions for too long.
āFor me, itās really relatively short. As soon as I experience it, I acknowledge it. I maybe burst or scream on the court. But Iām able to bounce back and reset.ā
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