Novak Djokovic saved from a terrifying close call to secure his spot in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon before his former opponent Roger Federer .
Djokovic delivered what John McEnroe called 'his poorest set in recent years' as Alex de Minaur secured an uncompetitive first set with a score of 6-1 in just 30 minutes.
A seven-time winner had their serve broken thrice in the opening set against an opponent who has not yet advanced to a Grand Slam semifinal.
Djokovic faced two breaks in the second set—while managing to save several additional break chances—but made sufficient impact during De Minaur's service games to tie the match.
At 38 years old, his resurgence carried over into the following two sets, with Djokovic finishing the turnaround to earn a spot in his 16th Wimbledon quarterfinals.
The eight-time Wimbledon winner Federer was among the special visitors at the Royal Box on Centre Court, with certain supporters believing his arrival influenced Djokovic's play.
Djokovic aims to equal Federer's historic achievement of winning eight Wimbledon championships, while also striving for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam men's singles title.
'A fan expressed on social media: "The stress of competing against Roger Federer is visibly affecting Novak Djokovic right now."'
"A viewer commented online: 'It’s evident that facing Roger Federer is putting significant strain on Novak Djokovic currently.'"
"One enthusiast shared on social platforms: 'Novak Djokovic seems to be struggling under the weight of playing against Roger Federer lately.'"
"An observer noted on digital forums: 'There's no doubt that encountering Roger Federer is taking a toll on Novak Djokovic at this time.'"
"A supporter posted on social networks: 'At present, Novak Djokovic appears to be feeling the impact of playing against Roger Federer.'"
Some people criticized Djokovic for 'failing under pressure' and 'showing anxiety' when facing his former opponent, who ended their career in 2022.
McEnroe expressed surprise at Djokovic's performance in the initial set and mentioned that the 24-time Grand Slam winner would likely be 'extremely disappointed in himself'.
"We definitely didn't anticipate seeing that," McEnroe remarked. BBC One Such situations typically occur to people who are 38 years old, and we've all been expecting this to happen to him eventually.
Occasionally, as one grows older, it becomes difficult to understand why performance declines. You try your best to get ready, yet seeing Novak perform like this is unexpected since such instances are rare for him.
'It seems as though he got out of bed on the wrong side. It's difficult to accept that we're witnessing this at the moment. The first set has been overwhelmingly one-sided. That's how you could describe it—surprising.'
I can't recall him delivering such a poor performance before. It has truly been ages. He is completely embarrassed with himself.
'Federer had to remove his sunglasses as he found it hard to comprehend what he was seeing. He wondered, "Where was this Djokovic during our previous final matches here?"'
The most accomplished athlete at Wimbledon paid a visit to SW19 a few days later. disclosing his forecast for the competition .
Federer, aged 43, identified Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Djokovic as the top contenders and mentioned he had a slight preference for the two-time reigning champion Alcaraz.
When asked about playing in front of Federer, Djokovic remarked: “This might be the first time he has come to see me and I have managed to win the game! In recent matches I had losses, so it's great to end this streak.”
'It's wonderful, of course, to have Roger here. He is a major champion and someone I greatly look up to and respect. It's definitely beneficial for him to return to his most successful and favorite competition.'
Djokovic is set to compete against Flavio Cobolli in the upcoming round following the Italian's victory over former US Open winner Marin Cilic, which secured him a spot in his inaugural Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Top-ranked Australian player De Minaur had been scheduled to compete against Djokovic in the quarterfinals of this competition last year but now needs to pull out because of an injury.
A 26-year-old delivered an outstanding performance on Centre Court, yet his attempt to advance to his inaugural Grand Slam semifinal continues.
For additional tales similar to this, check our sport page .
Like AxofaSport for the newest updates regarding Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .