“Quality-wise, it was the best match that I've seen in my entire life” - Stefan Edberg on Wimbledon 2019 final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
Wimbledon recently celebrated the centenary of the iconic Centre Court, hosting a ceremony with all of the tournament’s past winners. Among them was Stefan Edberg, the Swedish former professional who won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles - including two on the hallowed lawns of SW19.
The 56-year-old spoke about his memories of Wimbledon, right from those who inspired him to his title victories in 1988 and 1990.
"Personally, this is the place to come back to if I had to choose one place. Since growing up watching [Bjorn] Borg winning his five titles here to playing here myself, winning [the title]. You always feel very welcome when you come back to Wimbledon,” Edberg said.
There's nothing quite like Centre Court.
There's nothing quite like Wimbledon.
Two-time champion and @ROLEX Testimonee Stefan Edberg shares his most treasured memories at The Championships
#CentreCourt100 https://t.co/vHi5MSb7qW
The Swede went on to state that the tournament is a source of inspiration, and touched upon some of his favorite matches.
“You have a lot of inspiration here. At the same time, a lot of tradition as well. Borg vs [John] McEnroe back in 1980. So many of us have watched the [Roger] Federer vs [Rafael] Nadal match [2008 final], that stands out, it might be one of the best matches,” Edberg said.
“And recently, I watched this very long match when [Novak] Djokovic beat Roger in the [2019] final a couple of years ago, having match points. That was probably, quality-wise, the best match that I've seen in my entire life at Wimbledon,” he added.
Novak Djokovic eyes 4th consecutive Wimbledon title, as Roger Federer misses his first Championships in 23 years
Novak Djokovic is currently preparing for Sunday’s Wimbledon final, where he is up against unseeded yet mercurial Nick Kyrgios. Djokovic has won the Championships three years in a row and is aiming to lift his seventh grass Slam title.
A win on Sunday would see the Serb go level with Pete Sampras’ tally and just one behind Roger Federer’s all-time record.
Kyrgios has a perfect 2-0 head-to-head record against Djokovic, having beaten him twice in 2017. The Australian defeated Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open before triumphing again in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters.
If Kyrgios wins on Sunday, he will become the first Australian man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.
Federer, meanwhile, has not been in action for more than a year. His most recent appearance came at SW19, the same place where he received a rousing reception during the Centre Court centennial celebrations.
With eight singles titles to his name, @rogerfederer 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/ucGLn0wW6q
The 40-year-old’s absence from this year’s tournament broke a 23-year-long streak of him playing in the iconic grasscourt Major. That said, Federer is close to making his comeback to the tour; he is scheduled to be in action at the Laver Cup later this year.