Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon this Sunday, July 11, 2021. (Photo: Julian Finney / Getty Images)
(CNN) -
Novak Djokovic equaled the men's record for Grand Slam singles titles after beating Matteo Berrettini in the Wimbledon final on Sunday.
The world number 1 now joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam in his career, establishing himself as one of the best players in the history of this sport.
After a rocky start, Djokovic rallied to win 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-4 6-3 against his Italian opponent, who was playing his first Grand Slam final, to claim his sixth Wimbledon title.
A boy acts as Novak Djokovic's coach and he gives him his racket
After winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros this year, he now needs the Olympic gold medal and the US Open title to become the first man in the history of the sport to win a Golden Slam.
The Golden Slam includes the four Grand Slam titles of the year and the Olympic Games gold medal.
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'More than a battle,' says Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after beating Italian Matteo Berrettini at Wimbledon.
"This was more than a battle. First of all, I would like to congratulate Matteo, his family and his team for a fantastic tournament. Today was a tough match," Djokovic said in his on-court interview.
"From being a 7-year-old boy in Serbia building a Wimbledon tennis trophy with improvised materials that I found in my room to being here today with my sixth Wimbledon. It's amazing."
Berrettini, who was playing his first Grand Slam final, could be forgiven for being nervous, but it was veteran Djokovic who seemed the most hesitant at first.
The 34-year-old started the match with a double fault before surviving a break point in his first service game.
Aspiring to become the first Italian to win an individual title at Wimbledon, Berrettini sought to lean on his powerful serve and powerful forehand to settle into the match, but Djokovic broke serve in his second service game.
The Italian began to fight his form, missing a couple of easy shots, but found his rhythm just in time, breaking back against Djokovic when he was serving for the set.
The mini-victory seemed to give Berrettini a boost and the public turned in his favor.
The first set turned into a heart attack tie-break, which Berrettini closed with a resounding ace.
Djokovic, forced to improve his game to come back
It was clear that Djokovic had to improve his game, and that is exactly what he did in the second set, breaking the Italian's serve twice in his first two attempts.
Berrettini did not give up, however, breaking serve again when Djokovic was serving for the set, but the Serbian struggled to even the match.
The third set was more like the final that many expected, with both men displaying wonderful tennis to the delight of the crowded stands of Center Court.
Matteo Berrettini was not out of tune in his first Grand Slam final.
But, after an early break, Djokovic held on again to lead 2-1 in the final.
Berrettini continued to pressure Djokovic in the final set of the match, but the great champion's experience began to pay off.
He drastically reduced his unforced errors and, as always, found a way to win the big points.
'He's writing the history of this sport': Berrettini's praise for Djokovic
"Novak was definitely better than me. He is a great champion. He is writing the history of this sport, so he deserves all the credit," Berrettini said during his on-track interview.
"I am very happy with the final. I hope it is not the last here or the last in general. It is an incredible feeling."
In his current form, it seems a matter of time before Djokovic surpasses Federer and Nadal, but the Serbian paid tribute to the two legends of men's sports.
Credit: GLYN KIRK / AFP via Getty Images
And Djokovic praises Federer and Nadal
"They are legends of our sport and they are the two most important players that I have faced in my career," he said.
"They are the reason I am where I am today. They helped me realize what I have to do to improve and become stronger."
Djokovic will now head to Tokyo to compete in the Olympics before heading to the US Open.
Novak Djokovic Tennis Wimbledon
