The showpiece men’s final on Sunday at Wimbledon is sure to be a doozy. Nick Kyrgios is through to his first Major final after Rafael Nadal withdrew before their semifinal match. Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, is looking for a 21st Grand Slam title but has appeared vulnerable at times this tournament. As always, our writers are here to share their thoughts on the upcoming final. Predicting this match are Jim Smith, Jakub Bobro, Damian Kust, Jack Edward, and Shane Black. Who do you think will win?
Wimbledon Men’s Final Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs Nick Kyrgios
Jim:
Kyrgios could win this match. He has beaten Djokovic in both of their previous meetings after all. But he almost certainly won’t win this match. If anything, his victories over the Serb, which came in quick succession in 2017, are likely to lead to overconfidence on his part. He also hasn’t beaten anyone who is even remotely comparable to Djokovic on the grass so far at Wimbledon, whilst his rhythm has been disrupted by not playing a semifinal.
And it will be his first Grand Slam final. The Australian may be a man for the big occasion, but this will be an occasion entirely unlike any he has experienced before. Simply put, Djokovic is a vastly more accomplished player and if he has not been at his very best so far at Wimbledon so far, he has not needed to be. If, and it is a big if, Kyrgios does demand Djokovic’s best tennis, expect the Serbian to deliver and to deny the Australian.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Jakub:
Djokovic’s run is quite tough to evaluate. He looked mostly dominant through the first two rounds but looked in trouble against both Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie before they suffered injuries. Kyrgios has pulled off big wins over the course of his career but has never been on this stage before. The Australian beat the top seed in their two previous meetings, pulling off the upset in straight sets at back-to-back tournaments in 2017. With how shaky Djokovic has looked at times in the last two matches, I expect Kyrgios to start better, maybe even win the first two sets. From there it will be a mental battle. It sounds absolutely insane to write this, but I think Nick Kyrgios will become the Wimbledon champion this year.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 4
Damian:
Head-to-head feels pretty irrelevant given the 2017 version of Novak Djokovic was far off his best. However, it’s not like Nick Kyrgios doesn’t have a shot here. Normally, we’d expect the Australian to struggle with his fitness at the end of a very tough fortnight, but besides the automatic qualification to the final, Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal also provided him with plenty more rest.
This is the biggest match of Kyrgios’s career and that can work in his favor or lead to his demise. He’s looked like a man on a mission so far and seems to be in a rather happy place right now, considering his off-court abuse case and former mental health issues that were often tennis-related.
On a fast surface, his matchup with Djokovic isn’t bad, especially if he’s willing to grind and can be patient enough to finish the points with more shots than it would usually take. The best returner of all time will put plenty of pressure on him, that’s for sure.
Djokovic hasn’t really played his A game this Wimbledon yet, but that shouldn’t be concerning since he’s usually capable of raising the level when required. This should be closer than it looks if Kyrgios delivers. My confidence in this pick? Not too high.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 5
Jack:
As you probably already know, Novak Djokovic trails his head-to-head with Nick Kyrgios 0-2. Two matches played, two matches that have went the Aussie’s way. There is absolutely no doubt Kyrgios was able to get under Djokovic’s skin–the Serb was unable to get a single break of serve throughout those two matches as Kyrgios ensured his serve was going to be untouchable.
These courts are made for Kyrgios’s serve. He won’t be unbreakable but he could come pretty close if he plays well enough. And why wouldn’t he be playing well enough? When Nick Kyrgios wants to turn up, he often does–against Djokovic in a Wimbledon final, this want, this drive Kyrgios requires to peak will almost certainly be there.
Djokovic has had slow starts in many of his games so far but when he’s locked in, he has been just as difficult to break. Kyrgios could deservedly take two sets but it’ll probably be a matter of time before Djokovic reaches the level required to make it four titles in a row, regardless of how well Kyrgios serves.
Prediction: Djokovic in 5
Shane:
Nick Kyrgios bested Novak Djokovic both times they played in 2017, but the magnitude of a Grand Slam final has me throwing out those previous results. The Australian has played in ten tournament final matches. Djokovic has played in 31 Grand Slam finals. The comfortability during the moment favors the Serb, but Kyrgios’s style of play will unlikely be affected by the magnitude of what is on the line. Djokovic showed a semblance of his ‘A game’ in the final three sets against Norrie. I think he carries that momentum into what will surely be a wild and animated Wimbledon final.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Main Photo from Getty.
