“Not even fake humility” “At least Novak Djokovic admits to it” - Fans react to Serb saying Roger Federer played better in 2019 Wimbledon final

Tennis fans on the internet have expressed strong reactions to Novak Djokovic's recent claim that Roger Federer played better during the 2019 Wimbledon final.

The 2019 summit clash on Centre Court at the Wimbledon Championships was the last time Djokovic and Federer met on a grasscourt. The Serb went past Federer 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) to lift the then-16th Grand Slam trophy of his career.

Even though he was victorious, Djokovic believes his opponent's play was better overall. The Serb, in a recent interview with tennis journalist Jon Wertheim, said (via 60 minutes) that peaking in the right moments helped him win the match.

“I beat him [Federer] 13-12 in the 5th set. The sets that I won were all won in tiebreaks," Djokovic said. "Overall, if you see stats, he was the far better player in every aspect, but I won the match. So that actually tells you can still win if you pick and choose which moments of the match you’re peaking and playing your best when it matters.”

In response, one tennis fan expressed appreciation for the 24-time Grand Slam champion's candidness but suggested he was wrong in assessing his own performance.

"Well, at least he admits to it in a way. But picking your moment to play your best? Really? Lol," the fan wrote.

Another fan, however, approved of the Serb's statement, writing:

"Everyone who watched knows that Djokovic played sloppy for some reason, and he just ended up better in clutch moments."

A third fan wrote:

"And this is very true, not even fake humility. Roger will always look back and wonder how he lost this match."

In the fifth set, Federer had earned himself two match points at 8-7 but failed to convert either of them. Taking the specific point in the match into context, a fan stated:

"One serve on the T would have sealed the deal. Just luck.. sometimes.."

Here are a few more reactions on X (formerly Twitter):

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Novak Djokovic leads Roger Federer 27-23 in the head-to-head

2020 Australian Open - Day 11

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have clashed a staggering 50 times, with the former leading the head-to-head 27-23.

Their rivalry dates back to April 2006, which is when they contested against each other for the first time. Federer, the World No. 1 at the time, emerged as the winner at the Monte Carlo Masters back then. The Swiss won the next three duels as well.

Djokovic's first success against the 20-time Grand Slam champion came in 2007, at the Canadian Open. He defeated his opponent 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(2) to become the champion.

The duo last faced off at the Australian Open in 2020, when the 24-time Grand Slam champion outperformed Federer in the semifinal en route to a title-winning finish.