WIMBLEDON — Within the space of 26 hours this week Wimbledon’s relationships with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were underlined. For one there is unwavering love. The other? Well, it’s a tad more complex.
On Monday night all Federer had to do was sit down for the tennis world to fawn. One of the images of this grand slam so far, the eight-time champion was among just three sat in the Royal Box close to 9pm when the final match featuring Alexander Zverev started.
Federer had taken breaks at other times, missing the start of Arthur Fery’s win, but while surrounded by a sea of green wicker chairs he was lauded for his perseverance.
Five years on from his last Wimbledon appearance, another perfect shot.
Federer was praised for sticking around on Monday night (Photo: BBC)This is what Djokovic has been up against his whole career – even beyond Federer’s own.
Djokovic could yet match Federer’s record of eight titles here this Sunday. Djokovic surpassed Federer’s record for matches won here last Sunday. Djokovic has beaten Federer in three finals here and has won more grand slam titles overall.
But no matter what Djokovic does here, he will never take Federer’s Wimbledon crown.
Anointed by the people, Federer’s emergence as Wimbledon’s king was not through wins or titles alone but more crucially in how they were achieved.
“It’s got to be Team Federer always,” Daniel Malka, who had tickets to watch Djokovic’s quarter-final, tells The i Paper outside Centre Court. “I have massive respect for Rafa [Nadal] and Novak, but Roger is my GOAT. Although numbers don’t lie and Djokovic is ahead, I just love the elegance and artistry of Federer.”
A perfect match, the elegance and artistry that endeared Federer to millions apply to Wimbledon too. Centre Court specifically is a modern-day royal court, where champagne corks pop, queens and princesses are entertained, and outbursts tut-tutted.
A certain decorum is therefore expected from this court’s performing acts, and while Federer’s on-court demeanour seamlessly blended in – despite being a hot-headed teenager – Djokovic’s does not.
Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon is an ongoing love-hate affair (Photo: AP)Tuesday night proved a microcosm of Djokovic’s 19-year wrestle with Centre Court, the five-hour epic against Felix Auger-Aliassime eliciting jeers and cheers from this crowd, who witnessed this 39-year-old tame another young pretender.
Djokovic had appeared to injure his calf nine games into the first set. He winced, stretched behind the baseline, and required a medical time out. He then played for almost another five hours.
This irks plenty. “Djokovic’s constant gamesmanship abuse is probably one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen within sporting history and this isn’t an exaggeration,” came one of the stronger reactions on X, his critics sceptical unless he retires injured – which he has only done once in the last seven years.
Then came the arguments, first with tournament referee Denise Parnell about the roof. Djokovic had a point. It was closed an hour before it had been in previous matches, but the conversation picked up did him few favours. “You’re so proud of your rules and you are not sticking to any kind of rules. You have no idea what the rule is,” Djokovic said.
His frustration with umpire Louise Engzell followed. “This is embarrassing,” he said, claiming a let call was missed. “You don’t have to follow the machine you can also use your ear.”
Rather awkwardly, Tim Henman then pointed out on commentary: “But… there isn’t a machine?”
Novak Djokovic was not happy with the roof closing early on Centre Court pic.twitter.com/2mHI51sCnY
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 7, 2026Federer would never. But this is what makes Djokovic tick. He needs fuel for the fire and has seized upon hostility throughout his career. You probably would, too, had you arrived after millions had already picked sides.
But despite crashing the “Fedal” party late, Djokovic has always had his most passionate supporters at times literally behind him. The “Nole Fam” were present again just a few rows behind the players’ chairs on Tuesday night, and when The i Paper spoke to them in the Wimbledon queue on Monday, they recognised a softening from some towards their misunderstood champ.
“People are aware he will stop soon,” Mirjana Pavlovic says. “It was very difficult before. What people can’t stand are his reactions, but it’s his character, his personality. It helps.”
Perceptions changed, they noted, when Djokovic sought and won Olympic gold at Paris 2024 to complete the career Golden Slam.
“I was around people from many nations,” Pavlovic adds, “and it was the first time in my life I felt the people support Novak, because they wanted to be part of history and knew how much it means.”
Federer fans themselves go one of two ways but on Tuesday even those sporting the Swiss’s branded caps were here to see Djokovic. They were not only unbothered by his antics but stressed they are necessary.
Sporting Federer hats, Ankita Duseja and Shivendra Selvam were both backing Djokovic (Photo: Michael Hincks)“It’s sport,” Shivendra Selvam says. “He’s allowed to express himself and he does that well. He’s different and that’s what makes him stand out, right?”
This difference is what makes Djokovic arguably tennis’s greatest champion and undoubtedly one of the most superhuman athletes across any sport. The same age as Lionel Messi, the Serb joked he would love to play 90-minute matches.
Compared to the Argentine, he’s doing a double shift. Messi has played 468 minutes at the World Cup, while Djokovic has clocked 992 at Wimbledon.
All in the name of grand slam No 25, and while he works on winning this Wimbledon crowd over, too, on this court at least, unanimous acclaim may not arrive until he retires and watches wistfully from the Royal Box himself.
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