Thanasi Kokkinakis Believes Novak Djokovic Is Clear Favorite to Retain Wimbledon Crown Over Rafael Nadal in 2022

Published 06/30/2022, 11:20 AM EDT

Novak Djokovic was at his splendid best against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis winnin,g 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. The Serbian hasn’t lost at Wimbledon since retiring in the quarter-finals in 2017. However, his opponent believes that Djokovic’s level of play makes him a clear favorite to win the tournament this year.

Djokovic is a 6-time Wimbledon champion dominating throughout the last decade, winning on the last three occasions. The Serbian is the top seed at Wimbledon, despite falling to No. 3 in the ATP rankings.

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Kokkinakis impressed by Djokovic’s performance

The Australian who won the Australian Open doubles crown with Nick Kyrgios was kept in check by the dominant Djokovic. However, Kokkinakis believes that Djokovic’s game was on another level after his second-round exit. He said, “If he plays like that, I don’t think he can lose.”

Funny phrasing by Kokkinakis, who was awed by Djokovic today:
Q. Do you see anyone stopping him?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Hopefully not, if he plays like that. Because if someone beats him when he's playing like that it means I'm even further off than I thought…#Wimbledon
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 29, 2022

“And I hope he doesn’t [lose] because if there is someone capable of playing better tennis than Novak did today, that leaves me even further from the elite. I hope he played to the maximum because if he can turn up the intensity, even more, I don’t know where that leaves me,” he concluded.

‘Biggest One Ever’-Serena Williams on Achieving Self Control at Wimbledon Championship 2022

Djokovic will now face fellow countryman Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round on Friday.

Will Novak Djokovic be stopped at Wimbledon?

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The 35-year-old is enduring a difficult 2022, after winning three of the four Grand Slams last season. His sole title win came in Rome before the French Open. However, with controversies surrounding his COVID-19 vaccination status, his performances have certainly dipped on the Tour.

Djokovic who has won the last three editions of Wimbledon will be looking to continue his dominance at the All-England Club. With big names like Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz out of the tournament, Djokovic will have a clear run to another final.

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Watch this story: Rafael Nadal’s biggest fan, Serena Williams, cheers for his success at Wimbledon Championships 2022

Will Djokovic equal his idol Pete Sampras’ record of 7 Wimbledon titles? Will Rafael Nadal continue his dominance in 2022 and stop the Serbian’s reign at SW19?

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Written by:

Mario Fernandes is a Formula 1 writer at EssentiallySports. He has completed his graduation in Mathematics, followed by a Post Graduation Diploma in Journalism. Mario has been a sportsman and a sports fan from a very young age and has represented his school and college in sports like soccer, tennis, and cricket at the district level.

Edited by:

Deepakshi Chaudhary

Thanasi Kokkinakis Believes Novak Djokovic Is Clear Favorite to Retain Wimbledon Crown Over Rafael Nadal in 2022

Kokkinakis impressed by Djokovic’s performance

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Will Novak Djokovic be stopped at Wimbledon?