Dijana Djokovic calls Roger Federer "a little arrogant."
Divine intervention helped Novak Djokovic save two championship points in the 2019 Wimbledon final, the Serbian superstar's mom says.
A defiant Djokovic denied two championship points in the final set fighting off rival Roger Federer, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3) to successfully defend his Wimbledon title in The Championships' longest final—and first men’s major final decided in a fifth-set tie breaker.
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In an interview with Blic, Dijana Djokovic said "God saved" her son in that epic final—and she branded Federer "a little arrogant."
"The match against Roger at Wimbledon was the most difficult last year," Dijana Djokovic said. "At the stadium, everyone applauded him and we were just a handful of Novak fans. It bothered me because Roger is a little arrogant.
"When he had those two points of broken with his serve, I grabbed my cross, an amulet that I use and that saves me in difficult times… Then I said to myself, 'Nole, you can do it. You've done it many times, you can do it again,' and he did it.
"God saved him. Novak believes in him too. He feels chosen by God. He carries a cross that it brings you peace and happiness."
An electrifying final spanned four hours, 57-minutes popping with audacious shot-making, intense pressure, momentum shifts, missed opportunities and insanely gripping drama culminating in the two hour, two-minute final set.
Djokovic collected his eighth Australian Open crown and 17th major title in January.
The world No. 1 is third on the all-time list between 20-time Grand Slam king Roger Federer and 19-time major champion Nadal, but will eventually be second to none says Novak's father, Srdjan Djokovic.
"His wish is that by the end of his tennis career, which will last several more years, he will surpass the records of Nadal and Federer," Srdjan Djokovic said in an interview last year.
"He is simply too ambitious and too good not to do that," said Srdjan Djokovic of his son. "If he hadn't sustained that (elbow) injury, we would be a step away from that goal. This way, he is just two steps away. And trust me: he will succeed."
Photo credit: Getty
