Novak Djokovic had ‘no energy left’ after his Wimbledon quarter-final (Image: BBC)
Novak Djokovic won the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon history, and then admitted he needed to keep his on-court interview brief because he had “no energy left”. The Serbian superstar, 39, defied age to beat third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(10) 3-6 6-3 6-7 7-6(4) in a five-hour and 15-minute thriller that finished just before the 11pm curfew kicked in.
Djokovic’s two children, Stefan, 11, and Tara, eight, were in his box for the whole match. And the No. 7 seed revealed that he told them to go to bed midway through the match, though they didn’t listen.
The seven-time former champion here stepped into the centre of the court and lifted his arms in the air after claiming victory under the lights and roof of Centre Court. He soaked up the applause before walking up to the microphone and speaking to Rishi Persad.
Asked how he’d managed to win the rollercoaster match, Djokovic replied: “With racket and a lot of heart. You know, a lot of… I guess, management of the nerves and the extreme tension that you feel in this kind of matches.
“Towards the end, really anybody’s game. I think the scoreline was pretty much even all the way through. I mean, that’s kind of a reality image or presentation of this kind of match today. I think it was really anybody’s game in the super tiebreak in the fifth.
“What can I say? I mean, these are the kinds of moments that I still play tennis for, for sure. I wish it was finals, you know, so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow! But yeah, I’m happy. I’m happy that I won.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion’s wife and kids applauded from his box, and Persad continued: “After a performance like that, at the stage of the career that you’re in, in front of your family, it must carry a little bit more significance to be able to do it like that.”
Novak Djokovic won one of his ‘best’ Wimbledon matches in five hours and 15 minutes (Image: Getty)
Djokovic grinned and said: “It certainly does, it certainly does. I was telling the kids to go to sleep after the fourth but they didn’t want to listen, and I’m glad they stayed because it was honestly one of the best matches I was part of, on this court, in my career.”
After soaking up even more applause, the 39-year-old lost his train of thought and asked to end the interview quickly. “What was your question? Sorry, I really have… Let’s keep it short, because I have no energy left, my friend,” he added.
The No. 7 seed was told of his impressive numbers – 15 Wimbledon semi-finals, eight consecutive here, and a 55th Major semi. But he brushed them off. “That’s great, but it’s just another semi-final for me,” Djokovic declared, knowing the challenge that lay ahead in reigning champion Jannik Sinner.
“I’m going to look at all the numbers and things when I finish my career. Right now, it’s all business. I still have to recover, I’m still in the tournament, and I have the best player in the world in a few days’ time. Thank you.”
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