Novak Djokovic began his Wimbledon defence with a sketchy 4-set win against South Korean Kwon Soon-Woo. The unheralded Kwon started brightly, racing into a 3-1 first set lead. The Serb recovered, winning five games on the trot to seal the first set 6-3. But the Korean had the fist for a fight, ripping apart the Djoker by the same score in the second. Novak looked rusty and unfocused as Kwon continued to be a pesky presence. However, the Serb found a second wind to close out the third and fourth sets 6-3, 6-4.
Also Read: Anti-vax Djokovic has ‘extra’ motivation to win Wimbledon after US Open ban
While the win was unremarkable by itself, it brought up Nole’s 80th career victory at Wimbledon. In doing so, the 20-time Grand Slam champion becomes the first player- male or female- to rack up at least 80 wins in all four Grand Slams. Speaking to the BBC after his first-round skirmish, the 35-year-old reiterated his love for the sport; and his desire to deliver on the grandest of stages:
“I owe a lot to this sport. Of course, I love it still with all my heart. I have lots of passion for it and I’m as dedicated as anybody out there. Of course, I’m not one of the youngsters anymore and things change a little bit but the love, and flame for this sport still burns in me and you know, of course, at this stage of my career, umm I try to always play my best tennis in the Grand Slams, and really deliver, deliver the best tennis on these most significant courts.”
Is it even Djokovic, however, without a dose of cheek?! Whilst acknowledging the milestone, the Serb casually stated his wish to extend this tally to a century (and beyond):
“What can I say? Now that we’ve got to eighty, let’s get to a hundred!”
Also Read: Novak Djokovic’s projected path to Wimbledon 2022 final
The number, although significant, pales in importance to a potential 7th title on the grass of Wimbledon and a step closer to tennis immortality.
