History on the line for Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon final as he eyes Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg and Margaret Court records in relentless pursuit of greatness

Novak Djokovic’s later career has been defined by a ruthless pursuit of Grand Slam titles and records that go with it.

He wants to be defined as the ‘Greatest of All-Time’ – and with the sheer numbers he is still putting up, it might be hard to argue.

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The 36-year-old has history on the line on Centre Court on Sunday as he goes for another Wimbledon title – this time against world number one Carlos Alcaraz.

If he can get over the line he will equal some quite astonishing records.

It would be his 24th Grand Slam title, equalling the record of Margaret Court, while pulling two clear of Rafael Nadal and four of Roger Federer.

Federer is often seen as the greatest men’s player on a grass court with eight Wimbledon titles, a figure Djokovic will equal if he can win.

He can also equal another of Federer’s records, five Wimbledon titles in a row, that he jointly holds with Bjorn Borg.

What is truly astonishing is that Djokovic seems as good, if not better, than he ever has been on a tennis court.

Since he won Wimbledon in 2018, he has won 11 of the 19 Grand Slam titles on offer. Not forgetting that he was banned from competing at the Australian and US Opens in 2022, while he was also disqualified from the New York tournament in 2020 for hitting a line judge with a ball.

Djokovic has managed to see off the ‘Next-Gen’ players like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev who were touted as the next in line to take over from ‘The Big Three’.

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Now we are on to the ‘Next, Next-Gen’ in Alcaraz, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner, but Serbian superstar still manages to keep them at bay.

Djokovic’s career had largely been defined by his rivalry with Federer and Nadal and not feeling the love and adulation that the other two have, and still, receive. 

A large section of the tennis fan base have never quite taken to him in the way they did with ‘Fedal’.

That was long before his controversial anti-vaxx stance that saw him booted out of Australia in 2022.

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You just have to look at the muted reaction he got when lifting the Wimbledon title in 2019 after an epic victory compared to the cheers Federer received.

His career rivals are out of the picture now, Federer having retired and Nadal out injured and planning to retire next year.

Djokovic is the last man standing of ‘The Big Three’ and he’s relishing in being the elder statesman on tour.

There appears to be a notable difference in the 36-year-old now he finally stands alone in the Grand Slam race, seemingly at peace with himself and his position in the sport.

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He knows that all the youngsters are desperate to beat him and he is actually enjoying it.

“I think any tennis player wants to be in a position where everyone wants to win against you on the court,” he said.

“It is a privilege, as Billie Jean [King] said. Pressure is part of what we do, it is part of our sport. It’s never going to go away, regardless of how many Grand Slams you win or how many matches you won or how many years that you’re playing professionally on the tour.

“The pressure is paramount, every single time I come out on the court, particularly here on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

“But at the same time it awakens the most beautiful emotions in me and it motivates me beyond what I’ve ever dreamed of, and it inspires me to play my best tennis.”

As for his rivals, Djokovic had a simple message: “I know that they want to get a scalp, they want to win but it ain’t happening, still.”

Win Wimbledon and he will once again be three quarters of the way to the ‘Calendar Slam’, with Rod Laver the last men’s player to achieve that feat in 1969.

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He was in that same position in 2021 before a straight sets US Open defeat to Medvedev, with the pressure seemingly taking its toll with so much on the line.

Djokovic seems different this time around, more at ease with the pressure and weight of expectation on him.

At 36, he remains as healthy as ever and will likely continue at the top for many more years to come.