Novak Djokovic is the best tennis player in the world, yet the task of facing him on a tennis court is far more than just forehands and backhands. As a 23-time grand slam champion who has recovered from every possible scoreline deficit, few can even match up to the challenge of standing up to his aura and reputation.
Late on Sunday night, as curfew beckoned and time ran out, Hubert Hurkacz fought a losing battle with Djokovic’s aura as he generated three set points before freezing in the decisive moments. Djokovic will return on Monday afternoon to complete his Wimbledon fourth round match against the Pole while leading 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6) after yet another day of play was halted by the All England Club’s strict 11pm curfew.
Djokovic and Hurkacz had emerged just before 9pm after a marathon day of play on Centre Court, with Andrey Rublev narrowly surviving Alexander Bublik in five sets before Iga Swiatek, the women’s No 1, recovered from two match points down to defeat Belinda Bencic after three hours. Still, the inability of the tournament to complete a regular day’s play will lead to further criticism of the All England Club’s decision to start matches on Centre Court at 1.30pm.
The defining question of the men’s tournament this year is whether anyone in the draw is truly capable of defeating Djokovic. Hurkacz, a 26-year-old who has scaled as high as No 9 and won a Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open in 2021, was on the very short list of players in the bottom half capable of causing Djokovic strife.
He remains one of the few of the younger generation whose game has proven a natural fit for grass. Hurkacz’s serve, one of the best in the world, is devastating on the surface, his flatter strokes well suited to its lower bounce and the Pole’s willingness to move forward to the net is naturally rewarded on the surface. Two years ago, Hurkacz reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, defeating Roger Federer in what proved to be the final match of the Swiss’s career.
Imbued with that experience of a big win on the very same court, Hurkacz flew out the blocks, easing through his opening service games while playing clear-headed attacking tennis. His serve, which scaled 141mph as the crack of the ball echoed around Centre Court, was at times unreadable for one of the best returners of all time.
As Hurkacz soared, his spectacular serving meant the margins were tiny. At 3-3 in the tie-break, Djokovic double-faulted, offering up the first mini-break. Hurkacz responded swiftly, slamming down two consecutive aces that carried him to triple set point at 6-3.
But then it all unravelled. After Djokovic pulled both of his service points back, at 6-5 Hurkacz fired down a 130mph serve and presented himself with an easy forehand which he dumped into the net. Two more unforced errors quickly followed from Hurkacz, who returned to chair having missed an enormous opportunity.
With one set behind him the clock ticking down, Djokovic’s returning improved and he imposed maximum pressure on his challenger, who courageously hung on with the force of his serve. At 2-1, Djokovic generated a break point on Hurkacz’s serve, to which the Pole responded with three consecutive aces to hold. Djokovic pounced again, forcing triple break point at 0-40. Three unreturned serves later, the world No 18 recovered to deuce before saving a fourth break point with an incredibly fortunate stretch volley that bounced awkwardly and flew back over his side of the net.
Both serves initially dominated the second-set tie-break that followed. At 5-5, though, Djokovic spectacularly retrieved a 136mph serve while lunging at full stretch, then he anticipated Hurkacz’s inside out forehand and flicked a backhand low to the Pole’s feet that set up an easy winner. Although he did not take the first set point, Djokovic took the final two points of the tie-break to establish a two-set lead.
Djokovic’s suffocating aura would be nothing without the genius behind it. Throughout the match, the Serb matched Hurkacz’s enormous serving with his own precise, effective delivery. Even as he watched aces fly past him throughout the two sets, on nearly every decisive point, Djokovic found a way to land a return, to retrieve one more ball and to ensure that he gave nothing away. He forced his younger challenger to step up and beat him, and in both sets the Pole could not.
After taking the second set, Djokovic immediately signalled that the match had finished for the night, tossing a wristband into the crowd before packing his bag and leaving the court alongside Hurkacz. Having opted against competing on grass between his French Open victory and the start of Wimbledon, Djokovic has been charged with finding his feet and form during the tournament. So far, things continue to go well and he will return on Monday afternoon to finish the job.
