Elena Rybakina and Novak Djokovic Crowned 2022 Wimbledon Champs

Novak Djokovic lifts the trophy after winning the Men's Singles FInal Wimbledon Tennis Championships in July 2022
Novak Djokovic lifts the trophy after winning the Men's Singles Final Wimbledon Tennis Championships in July 2022. Photo by Javier Garcia/Shutterstock (13018062ey)

The No. 17 seed Elena Rybakina surprised the tennis world by beating the favored Ons Jabeur and becoming the 2022 Wimbledon champion. In men’s singles, it was business as usual for Novak Djokovic, who beat the Australian Nick Kyrgios to win his fourth consecutive title at the All England Club.

Rybakina, playing her first Grand Slam finals, had a rough opening of the match. Her shots were not falling, and it seemed Jabeur would have an easy job ahead of her after winning the first set 6-3. Then something happened.

In the second set, Rybakina started leaning on her forehand and powerful serve. This shift immediately gave results as she got comfortable and more confident. The 23-year-old Kazakhstani won the second set 6-2 and then proceeded to dominate the deciding third set in the same manner to claim her first Grand Slam title.

Rybakina became the first woman who managed to recover from a one-set deficit in the Grand Slam finals to win the tournament since Amélie Mauresmo at 2006 Wimbledon. She is also the second lowest-ranked woman to win at the All England Club since rankings were introduced in 1975.

Djokovic also faced a one-set deficit against Kyrgios, but his run at this year’s Wimbledon showed that shouldn’t be an issue. The Serbian lost the first sets in both quarterfinals and semis before coming back. And it was more of the same in the finals.

After losing the first set 6-4, Djokovic bounced back with 6-3 and 6-4 wins in the second and third set, respectively. The fourth set saw him and Kyrgios holding on to their respective serves, resulting in a tiebreak.

Just like many times before, Djokovic couldn’t be cooler under pressure. He set the tone by breaking Kyrgios’ serve at the start of the tiebreak and then cruised to a 6-1 lead and five match points. Kyrgios saved two, but his resistance ended there, and it was time for Djokovic to start celebrating.

This was Djokovic’s 21st Grand Slam title and seventh Wimbledon win.