The stage is set for the 2021 Wimbledon men’s singles finals, with Novak Djokovic looking to win his third title in a row in this major and sixth overall. His opponent will be the up-and-coming Matteo Berrettini, who’s looking to pull off a giant upset. Will Djokovic complete the three-peat? Or will Berrettini bring home the title to Italy?
Djokovic took care of business in the semifinals to set himself up with a seat in the championship game in the 2021 Wimbledon. In the semis, the Serbian defeated Canadian and world No. 10 Denis Shapovalov in straight sets, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 7-5. Djokovic had to work hard to get that victory over Shapovalov, but overall talent and skill will always reign at the end of the day in this sport. Djokovic has been on the finals stage so many times and he’s still in his prime. Those are just two big advantages he has over Berrettini, whom Djokovic has also beaten twice before. Djokovic and Berrettini first met in 2019 (ATP World Tour Finals) and the former won, 6-2, 6-1. The two met again this year at Roland Garros, with Djokovic scoring a 6-3 6-2 6-7(5) 7-5. Djokovic is also driven by his desire to move into a tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for most Grand Slam titles.
Beating a legend like Djokovic will be a tall order for Berrettini, but he also feels that destiny is behind him. Berrettini became the first Italian to reach the Finals stage of Wimbledon by beating Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals in four sets, 6-3, 6-0, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4. Prior to that, Berrettini subdued Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals round 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. Berrettini’s powerful serves have been causing his opponents headaches in the tournament. He has 101 aces to date in the 2021 Wimbledon, which is way more than the rest of the field. Shapovalov is second with just 65. His momentum should bid him well in the early goings of the Finals, and establishing confidence in his game against one of the game’s true legends will be key in his mission to score a huge upset on Sunday. Ranked ninth in the world, Berrettini is 5-0 on grass in ATP matches, so far this year.
