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While Novak Djokovic is revered for his hardcourt prowess, he boasts of an impressive record on grass too. The World No. 1 has won five Wimbledon titles, with three of those coming at the expense of eight-time champion Roger Federer.
Djokovic, who is closing in on the all-time record for most Grand Slam titles, has scripted many an impressive win at Wimbledon. On that note, we take a look at his five best triumphs at SW19.
#5 2014 quarterfinal: Novak Djokovic def. Marin Cilic 6-1, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-2
After dropping just one set en route to his fifth-straight Wimbledon quarterfinal in 2014, Novak Djokovic faced a formidable challenge in the last eight against Marin Cilic.
The top seed started strongly, taking the opener while losing just one game. But Cilic responded by bagging the second set, and the two players traded breaks in the third before the Croat won the ensuring tiebreaker 7-4.
Far from being rattled, Djokovic began reading Cilic's booming serve more effectively. He broke his opponent early in the fourth set and engineered another break to force a decider.
A deflated Cilic fought on, producing a clutch hold to bring some respectability to the fifth-set score. But that only delayed the inevitable, as Djokovic soon served it out to reach the semifinals.
A relieved Djokovic said after the match:
"I just held my composure in those moments when the match was going his way, especially when he won the third set. I was frustrated with the fact that I hadn't used the opportunities that were presented, and also the fact that I allowed him to come back into the match. He did start playing more offence but I thought that I allowed him to have the opportunity."
Novak Djokovic went on to beat Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinal before downing Roger Federer in a five-set final to win his second Wimbledon title.
#4 2013 Semifinal: Novak Djokovic def. Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3
A year after losing to Roger Federer in the semifinals, Novak Djokovic made amends by downing Juan Martin del Potro in a five-set thriller to reach his second Wimbledon final.
The then-longest semifinal match at the tournament was full of bruising baseline rallies, with neither player backing down. But it was Djokovic who made the first move in the 12th game of the opener, as Del Potro dropped his serve and with it the set.
The Argentine responded by breaking the Serb's serve in the second and also saving a few break points. With the baseline exchanges getting more and more punishing, Del Potro saved three set points in the third set but couldn't prevent the Serb from taking it in a tiebreak.
The finish line appeared to be within sight for Djokovic when he broke for 4-3 in the fourth set. But Del Potro was not done. He broke back and then saved match points in a grueling tiebreak to force a fifth.
Djokovic made the decisive break in the eighth game of the final set. He then survived a break point before serving out victory, as a dazed Del Potro wondered what might have been.
Paying rich tribute to Del Potro after the match, Djokovic said:
"It was one of the best matches I've been a part of. I could not separate us, apart from when I was 2-1 and a break up - and I dropped serve. That's why he's a Grand Slam champion. He came up with some top shots, credit to him."
Perhaps Djokovic's exertions in the semifinal took a toll, as he fell in straight sets to first-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray in the final.
#3 2015 fourth round: Novak Djokovic def. Kevin Anderson 6-7, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
After cruising through the first three rounds without dropping a set, Novak Djokovic faced his first real test against Kevin Anderson.
Struggling to get a feel for the South African's big serve and booming groundstrokes, Djokovic squandered a 3-1 lead in the first-set tiebreak to lose the opener. More of the same unfolded in the second, and the defending champion soon fell two sets behind.
Just as it seemed an upset was on the cards, Djokovic upped his game and found a higher gear, dropping just one game in the third set to kickstart his comeback. He then pocketed the fourth set to force a decider, before bad light suspended play for the day.
Anderson rediscovered his mojo the next day, rattling off holds as his opponent struggled to protect his serve. However, the match turned decisively in the 11th game as the South African served two double faults and was broken.
Djokovic then produced a tough hold to close out his fourth win from two sets down.
Djokovic said after the match:
"It was high-quality tennis. At times, I was helpless with my return – it was very difficult to read his serve and he was very aggressive. I thought he played exceptionally well throughout the entire match. He was a very tough opponent."
Djokovic went on to beat Federer in the final, thus successfully defending his Wimbledon title for the first time.
#2 2018 semifinal: Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 10-8
In an injury-ravaged season, Novak Djokovic made it to his first final of the 2018 campaign at Queen's, where he lost to Marin Cilic. He later managed to find himself in the Wimbledon semifinals, pitted against his old rival Rafael Nadal.
Playing his first Major semifinal in almost two years, Djokovic took the opening set before Nadal responded by taking the second. With both men raising their game in the third set, a tiebreak ensued - which the Serb pocketed to take a pivotal two-sets-to-one lead.
Due to the first semifinal between John Isner and Kevin Anderson running over six hours and with the 11 PM local curfew coming into effect, the Nadal vs Djokovic match had to be stopped for the day. Resuming the next day under a closed roof, it was Nadal who was quicker off the blocks, as he broke Djokovic's serve early to force a decider.
In an epic fifth set, both players had opportunities to break the other. Nadal saved a break point at 3-4 while Djokovic twice recovered from 15-40 deficits.
With the match entering its sixth hour, Nadal saved a championship point at 7-8 on serve. But he was powerless to do so two games later, as the Serb secured victory.
Following the relentless contest, Djokovic said:
"There were moments of doubt, of frustration, disappointment, where you're questioning whether you want to keep it going in this way or that way, where is that taking you. I managed to overcome challenges and obstacles, get myself to the finals of a slam. Obviously if you told me that six months ago, I would take it right away. But did I truly believe that I can get back on the level? Yes. It’s hard for me to play tennis and not believe that I can be the best in what I do."
Nadal, who was playing his first Wimbledon semifinal in seven years, admitted he was almost running on empty after the slugfest.
"I have not much more inside me," Nadal said after the match. "I gave it my best, and that's it. It's fair to say that was a great match and he beat me. Well done for him. I felt, of course, that I lost an opportunity to try to win another very important title for my career. But that’s it."
Djokovic beat Anderson in the final the next day to win his fourth Wimbledon title, and first in three years.
#1 2019 final: Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12
In the epic 2019 final, Novak Djokovic seemingly emerged from the dead. After saving two championship points on Roger Federer's serve in the fifth set, the Serb ended up winning the first-ever match at the venue to feature a fifth-set tiebreak.
Two marathon semifinals the previous year had forced Wimbledon to become the latest Major to do away with a long deciding set in 2019. And that decision may have had a big role to play in the final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
After beating Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, Federer was the sentimental favorite to win a ninth title at his beloved tournament. Djokovic, however, had other ideas.
The Swiss squandered a 5-3 lead in the first set tiebreak to lose the opener, but regrouped quickly to take the second set while losing just one game. Then in the third set, Federer saw a set point on Djokovic's serve come and go as a tiebreak ensued.
It was the Serb who was the better player in the breaker once again, as he moved to within a set of a fifth Wimbledon title.
With the Center Court crowd firmly behind him, Federer raced to a big lead in the fourth set before wrapping it up 6-4.
Serving first in the decider, it was Djokovic who engineered the first break to go 4-2 up. But Federer responded with an immediate break back.
At 7-7 Federer broke Djokovic again, after which he served consecutive aces to arrive at two championship points. The Swiss was one swing of the racket away from becoming the oldest men's singles Grand Slam winner in the Open Era.
Incredibly, however, the Serb saved both the match points, and the set wore on.
A final-set tiebreak ensued after Djokovic saved another break point at 12-12. Federer blinked first in the breaker, which made Djokovic the first man in 70 years to win Wimbledon after saving multiple championship points.
After sealing his 16th Grand Slam title, Djokovic said:
"If not the most exciting and thrilling finals of my career, in the top two or three and against one of the greatest players of all time. As Roger said, we both had our chances. It’s quite unreal to be two match points down and come back – and a bit strange to play the tie-break at 12-all. Roger said he hopes it gives other people hope they can do this at 37. I’m one of them."
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