Novak Djokovic has admitted that he was hugely emotional in the immediate aftermath of his latest Wimbledon triumph on Sunday after recalling the difficult periods he has been through over the last few years. The Serb managed to beat Nick Kyrgios in four sets to get his hands on the coveted Wimbledon trophy once again and rubber-stamp his 21st career Grand Slam title in emphatic fashion.
The result marked a welcome return to the top of the game for Djokovic, who was prevented from playing in this year’s Australian Open due to his vaccination status before crashing out in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros back in May. He revealed after Sunday’s win over Kyrgios that his tearful response to his victory was provoked by the hardships he has faced in the months since his unceremonious deportation from Australia, which saw him subjected to fierce criticism from fans, pundits and fellow players alike.
“I have had a lot of moments like these in my career and I am grateful for that, but somehow this trophy after everything I went through in Australia,” Djokovic told Serbian outlet Klub Sport, as reported by Tennis Majors.
“All the bad things that happened went through my mind and when I sat on the chair, I just felt huge relief, because emotionally I have been constantly stressed out, like never before in my life.
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“Not solely because of what happened in Australia, but because of what followed me afterwards in relation to that, lots of negative comments and provocations from various people. That is something I have never faced before, so I did not know how to handle it.
“I always strive to do things which make me calm and mentally balanced, but I am a human being after all. There were some very ugly insults, provocations, media constantly reminding me about what happened, and it got to me.
“But I am happy to say that I do not carry that emotional burden for some time now, even more so with this victory. I am relieved.”
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Djokovic was allowed to compete at Wimbledon in spite of his unvaccinated status but could face further problems in attempting to take part in this year’s US Open, where he will not be able to play as things stand. He reaffirmed his stance against taking the vaccine when quizzed on the topic after his victory over Kyrgios on Sunday but expressed a desire to play at Flushing Meadows if the current restrictions are lifted before the start of the tournament.
“I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated, so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card, or whatever you call it, to enter the United States or exemption,” Djokovic told reporters.
“I don’t think exemption is realistically possible. If that is a possibility, I don’t know what exemption would be about, I don’t know, I don’t have much answers. I think it’s just whether or not they remove this in time for me to get to the USA.”
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