The neophyte and the regular. One is playing his first final in a Grand Slam, the other his… 32nd (absolute record in men’s tennis) and his 8th at Wimbledon.
Nick Kyrgios is only three sets away from the Wimbledon title and is preparing to play the match of his life. Kyrgios’ path to the final was secured by Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from their semifinal match due to an abdominal injury.
The two men have only played each other twice in their careers and Kyrgios won both times in straight sets. He should not, a priori, feed complexes against the Serb. But both of Djokovic’s losses came in 2017, in Acapulco and Indian Wells on hard court, in a period when the Djoker was playing upside down… On Centre Court, in the final and in his backyard, it may be a different story this Sunday.
While he has nothing to lose against the master of the house, the 40th ranked player in the world could be caught up in the pressure of the event. With his usual frankness, the Australian made no secret of his state of mind on Friday, two days before the event of his life. He had never made it past the quarter-finals in a Grand Slam. “I probably slept for an hour from Thursday to Friday because of the excitement. I was also so anxious. I never thought I would play the final here.” The tortured Kyrgios knows that this is possibly his once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a Major. The Aussie, who benefited from Nadal’s forfeit before their semifinal, is not to be taken lightly, especially on grass, but will he play with his usual slackness? “His best tennis, he’s always played it against the best players. That’s why we all respect him, we know what he’s capable of,” said his opponent.
