Novak Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, stepped onto the court to face 49th-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic as the clear favorite. After a convincing win of 6–3, 6–2, 6–0 against Dan Evans, Djokovic really showcased his impressive form with some sharp serving and smart strategies. In the meantime, Kecmanovic made quite an impression by beating Jesper de Jong in straight sets to move on to round three, even though he hasn’t made it past this point at Wimbledon before.

It seemed like it was going to be a one-sided match, but you know how all-Serbian showdowns can surprise us. On Centre Court, Djokovic started off by exchanging some baseline rallies before he pulled ahead to win the first set 6–3. He hit a breathtaking forehand winner that had the crowd gasping and added more pressure on Kecmanovic.

Even though there was a little hiccup—Kecmanović managed to hold his serve and get to deuce—Novak Djokovic’s amazing defense, featuring a perfectly placed drop shot and a sharp-angled slice, kept him right in the driver’s seat. The exchange between the two Serbians had everyone in the court completely captivated.

But there was this one moment that got caught up in the game as well. Bastien Fachan posted on X, and in the middle of the video, one can see a ball clearly coming in and hitting Djokovic on the back of his thighs as he was getting up from the grass and when he was leading 4–3 in the first set.

In the second set, Novak Djokovic really took charge, zooming to a quick 6–0 win in only 29 minutes. Right from the start, he broke Kecmanovic’s serve to take a 1–0 lead and quickly followed it up—hitting clever drop shots that had his opponent on the run. As of writing this article, we are headed into the third set; it’ll be interesting to see if Djokovic can really take down his Serbian rival.

Indeed, he’s 38 but still going strong. So, there have been quite a few rumors floating around about the Serbian lately, but one of his former coaches quickly stepped in to set the record straight.

Shrugging off the Novak Djokovic rumors

There have been quite a few whispers in the tennis community suggesting that this might be Novak Djokovic’s final shot at a Grand Slam. But his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, was definitely not on board with that idea.

In an interview with Clay Tennis, he was asked about Djokovic’s struggles at the French Open and his chances at Wimbledon, to which he replied, “I felt bad about that third set—he had 15-40, two set points, and didn’t do anything wrong. I’m not saying he’d have won if he took that set, and even if he did, Alcaraz was waiting. But here, I see his chance. Looking at the draw, I don’t think no one can beat Djokovic before the semis, and he’s never lost to Sinner here. OK, Australian Open and Roland Garros, but here Novak’s beaten him twice. In my view, Novak’s the favorite, no matter how sentimental that sounds.”

Sure, players like Carlos Alcaraz are definitely tough competition, but Ivanisevic believes Djokovic has the advantage. He thinks that his background on grass, experience, and impressive record really make him the favorite at Wimbledon. The Serbian tennis star is still looking good, but his former coach asserts that staying motivated is the real challenge. Ivanisevic talks about how managing nerves under pressure is super important, but the cool thing is, this doesn’t have to be the end of the road for Novak.

The former coach highlighted that Novak Djokovic has opportunities not just at Wimbledon to showcase his skills on the big stage again, but also at the US Open and possibly even at the LA Olympics in 2028. Now, stay on top of every twist and turn in the Championships with our Live Blog.