Novak Djokovic opened his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a gritty four-set win over France’s World No. 41 Alexandre Muller, crediting “doctors’ miracle pills” for a mid-match energy boost. The 38-year-old Serbian veteran, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, overcame a 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-2 victory on Centre Court late Wednesday evening.
After steamrolling the opening set with three breaks, Djokovic hit a wall in set two, falling to Muller’s resilience in a 9-7 tiebreaker. “I went from feeling my absolute best for a set-and-a-half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes,” Djokovic admitted. A mysterious stomach bug threatened to derail his campaign until “miracle pills” restored his energy, allowing him to seal the win with two breaks in the fourth set.
The victory marks Djokovic’s 60th match win at Wimbledon and extends his streak of reaching every final since 2018. Yet with 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz and 22-year-old Jannik Sinner charging to the top, the veteran knows time is ticking on his bid for tennis history.
Meanwhile, defending finalist Alexander Zverev suffered an unexpected early exit, bowing out in straight sets in his opening match. The upset underscores the rising competitiveness among the next generation and sets an unpredictable tone for this year’s championships.
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Djokovic thanks "miracle pills" after Wimbledon win, Zverev bows out
cgtn.com
