Novak Djokovic secured his 21st Grand Slam and a seventh Wimbledon title by beating Nick Kyrgios 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (3) in the men’s final.
On the women’s side, No. 17 seed Elena Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur in the women’s final on Saturday to win her first Grand Slam championship.
The Serb had to come from a set down to overcome Kyrgios, playing in his first ever singles Grand Slam final, and now sits just one behind rival Rafael Nadal (22) in the men’s all-time list of career majors.
Prior to today’s meeting between the two, Djokovic hadn’t even taken a set off Kyrgios in their previous two meetings, but the No.1 seed is a different beast when it comes to Grand Slams and especially Centre Court – the four-time defending champion hasn’t lost on this court since 2013.
Djokovic, who lost the opening set in his quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matches en route to scooping the Wimbledon title, found his best form after a cagey opening set and Kyrgios didn’t react quick enough.
As Kyrgios battled with the umpire, a drunken fan and himself at times, it was the 35-year-old who kept his focus and saved his best til last as he brushed aside his opponent’s serving threat to win after a nervy fourth-set tie-break.
Rybakina’s win made her the first woman representing Kazakhstan to win a major tournament. She was born in Russia – and still lives in Moscow – but switched her tennis representation to Kazakhstan in 2018 when the nation’s tennis federation offered her more support than she found in her home country. Jabeur, meanwhile, was the first Arab woman and African-born player to reach a Grand Slam final.
Ladies No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek saw her wining streak come to an end with a third round loss to Alizé Cornet. The world No. 1 had won 37 straight matches and the previous six tournaments she’s entered, including wins at Qatar, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and the French Open at Roland Garros. Cornet’s win put her in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2014.
Serena Williams took the court for the first time since the 2021 installment of Wimbledon on June 28. She had not played since last June, when she suffered a hamstring injury during her opening-round match at the All England Club. Williams’ match against Harmony Tan was a close one, but Tan walked away as the winner by going 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) after three hours and 11 minutes on the court. Williams had to retire in the first round at the All England Club last year – her only first-round exit prior to this year – but this is the first time she’s lost a match in the first round at Wimbledon and just the second time she’s been beaten on the court in the first round of a Grand Slam (2012 French Open).
Men’s final
- No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
Women’s final
- No. 17 Elena Rybakina def. No. 3 Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2