Anderson’s path to the final was an extremely gruelling one, spending more than 21 hours on court including five sets against John Isner that lasted more than six hours.
The South African triumphed 26-24 in the fifth to reach a first ever Wimbledon final but was unable to produce an upset against Djokovic, losing 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.
And he revealed afterwards that he was struggling with the physical side of the game right from the start of the match.
“In the first two sets Novak beat up on me pretty bad,” Anderson said.
“I tried my best to keep at it, work hard, I came within a point or two of a fourth set, but Novak isn’t easy to play, a true champion of our sport so congratulations to him and his team.
“I am definitely not feeling as fresh as I was coming into the week.
“We dedicate our whole lives to fighting for a spot on this court so that’s what it had to take for me to get here.
“It’s an amazing tournament for all of us players.
“Over the last while there have only been a very few individuals to make it out here.
“But I’d have given another 21 hours to have the opportunity to play out here, it really meant a lot to me.”
Djokovic took his overall Grand Slam tally to 13 with the victory as well as celebrating his first title since having elbow surgery last year.
And while the Serbian admitted he knew the physicality of Anderson’s run to the final affected the overall result, he also revealed his own long-term fitness concerns.
“I would like to congratulate Kevin, because he has had such a run,” Djokovic said.
“He didn’t play his best for two sets, but for the third set he was the better player and I was quite lucky to get through.
“I had to really trust the process, trust in myself. I owe a great thanks to my team, to everyone who has been supporting me.
“I had surgery and was absent from the tour for sixth months, I had many moments of doubt and didn’t know whether I could come back to the level to compete – there is no better place in the world to make a comeback.
“This is a sacred place for tennis, so this is very, very special. The grass tasted really well!
“I have had the privilege to be part of this final five times and won four titles – I am trying to enjoy the moment, cherish it with everyone close to me and everyone around the world.”