Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball to Kevin Anderson of South Africa during the men’s singles final match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday July 15, 2018. (Pool photo by NEIL HALL via AP)
LONDON — Novak Djokovic is back at his best and the Wimbledon champion for a fourth time, grabbing a lead right away against a weary Kevin Anderson in the final and winning 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) on Sunday.
Anderson nearly managed to extend the match, holding five set points to force a fourth set. Djokovic held steady, saving all five of those, then was as superior in the tiebreaker as he was most of the sun-drenched afternoon.
It is Djokovic’s 13th major trophy, the fourth-highest total in the history of men’s tennis.
But it’s also his first in more than two years.
During that time, Djokovic struggled with a painful right elbow that eventually required surgery and as his losses accumulated, his ranking fell out of the top 20 for the first time in more than a decade. He grew so frustrated with his form that he spoke about skipping the grass-court circuit.
Fortunately for him, he changed his mind.
At No. 21, Djokovic is the lowest-ranked Wimbledon titlist since Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.