“Toilet break was the turning point, I went out and had a little pep talk in the mirror” - Novak Djokovic on his come-from-behind win against Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon quarterfinals
Novak Djokovic returned from the brink on Tuesday in his quarterfinal win against Jannik Sinner at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. He pulled off a stunning comeback to beat Jannik Sinner 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in three hours and thirty-five minutes on Center Court.
For an hour and a half at the start, the 20-year-old Sinner had the defending champion grasping at straws. He successfully targeted Djokovic’s serve early on, breaking it four times on the way to a two-sets-to-love-lead.
However, the six-time champion engineered a mid-match turnaround by raising his game to emerge victorious and extend his winning streak at SW19 to 26 matches.
Speaking after his match in an on-court interview, Djokovic revealed what helped him come through the contest.
“As for the first two sets, I think in comparison to the last three we had probably two different matches. He was the better player for two sets,” Novak Djokovic confessed, adding, “I went out, had a little bit of refreshment, toilet break and a little pep talk in the mirror. The toilet break was the turning point.”
Comeback complete 👑
@DjokerNole is a Wimbledon semi-finalist for the 11th time, sealing a sublime 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory against Jannik Sinner
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/xdkN5os2H2
The Serbian stated that when the chips are down, it is necessary to take a small break to reassess the situation and gather one’s thoughts.
“Sometimes, you know, in this kind of circumstances where not much is happening positively for you on the court in terms of tennis and the other guy on the court is dominating the place, sometimes these things are necessary. A little break and a little pep talk, and try to recuperate and I guess regather the thoughts and reassemble everything that you have and come at your opponent with the best possible game,” Djokovic said.
The World No. 3 got off to the perfect start in the third set when he had a chance to break Sinner's first service game. While Sinner managed to hold, there was no stopping Djokovic in the second service game with the 35-year-old comfortably going on to win the set.
“I was fortunate to start the third set very well. I broke his server early in the set and I think that gave me a confidence boost. I saw a little bit of doubt in his game, in his movement and I guess the experience of playing on this stage for many matches helped me a little bit to deal and cope with the pressure in the in this kind of big matches,” Djokovic said.
With the win against Sinner, Djokovic moves within two matches of his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title. He will face either Cameron Norrie or David Goffin in the semifinal.
“I always believed that I could turn the match around” - Novak Djokovic on his defeat of Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic rallied on the brink of his first defeat at Wimbledon since 2017. He ignored the huge task staring him in the face and played with confidence instead, for he always believed that he’d emerge victorious.
“I've been blessed to play professional tennis for 20 years now. Even though I’ve played tennis on the big stage for so long, nevertheless I go through the same kind of doubtful moments as anybody else. The inner fight is always the biggest fight that you have to fight, on and off the court. So trying to win that internal fight is a big challenge. And once you do that, then the external circumstances are, I feel, more likely to go in your favor,” Novak Djokovic explained.
“I always believed that I could turn the match around. I've done that quite a few times in the Grand Slams, being two sets to love down. And again, maybe it's the experience, maybe it's a toilet break, maybe it's everything combined, but I'm just glad I’m through,” he stated.
This is how champions play 💫
Over to you, @DjokerNole...
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The 20-time Major champion also took time to praise Sinner for the scare he gave the Serb and wished him the best for the rest of the year.
“I must say huge congratulations for a big fight today from Jannik. I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of opportunities for him on the big stage. He's so mature for his age. He's been established now, Top 10, Top 15 player for the last few years. He's got plenty of time and it was unfortunate for him today. He’s had a very good tournament and I wish him the best of luck for the rest of the year,” Novak Djokovic said.