Wimbledon 2022 final: What prompted Nick Kyrgios’ meltdown in third set vs Novak Djokovic

One of the most anticipated and heated Wimbledon finals in recent history, Sunday’s showdown between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios turned memorable for a number of reasons.

Djokovic won the game  4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) and sealed his 21st Grand Slam title. 

Kyrgios, who had a perfect record against Djokovic ahead of the Wimbledon final, started to find it tough against the Serbian maestro. At the ninth game during the third set, Kyrgios raced to a 40-0 lead over Djokovic, who retaliated and registered a break point. But, how did that happen?

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It was the superior serves that helped Kyrgios to race to a 40-0 lead. However, Djokovic opted for a volley which helped him to make the score 40-15. The two competitors gets into a round of going back and forth following that.

The round breaks as a volley by Kyrgios finds the net, helping Djokovic to make the score 40-30. Djokovic looked more confident as the game progressed as the score turned deuce. 

Kyrgios looked visibly frustrated as he was found complaining that the umpires were ‘relaxing’ as soon as he took a 40-0 lead. He was also spotted yelling and throwing a water bottle during the changeover.

The Australian maverick finally bowed down to the relentless pressure from Djokovic as he led it to break point and won the set.

While news had broken out ahead of the final match that Djokovic was unsure of how to read Kyrgios’ serve, the performance on the Centre Court seemed to tell a different story. While it could have been Djokovic’s dedication to interpret the Australian’s serve over the years, it was clear that his opponent did not anticipate it.

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Kyrgios, along with the viewers, were left stunned by Djokovic’s conviction and ability to make a comeback after going down 40-0 early. Social media users took to Twitter to express their surprise by the performance of the world no. 1, many applauding his efforts at the Wimbledon final.

Soon after, an intense battle between Djokovic and Kyrgios broke out on the Centre Court as both looked resolute to reign supreme in the 2022 edition of the Wimbledon.