Novak Djokovic Defeats Roger Federer in Epic Five-Set Match for Fifth Wimbledon Title

Djokovic now owns 16 Grand Slam titles after Sunday's marathon men's final.

Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

In what ended up being the longest singles match in tournament history, defending champion Novak Djokovic won his fifth Wimbledon title on Sunday, defeating eight-time champion Roger Federer in five sets. 

Sunday's contest marked the third Wimbledon final between the two all-time greats, with Djokovic winning the last encounters in 2014 and 2015. Djokovic, last year's Wimbledon winner, took the first set 7-6 after Federer miscued a backhand and sent it wide to lose the tiebreak despite having a 5-3 lead. 

Federer regained his momentum by winning the second set with considerable ease, taking it 6-1. After playing from behind and struggling to stay level through the third set, Djokovic capitalized on a few loose points by Federer to take the third set on another tiebreak (7-4). Federer then tore the fourth set wide open, winning four straight games to race to a commanding 5-2 lead and forcing a fifth set with a 6-4 win.

In a fifth set full of nerves, Djokovic drew Federer into a long rally and into the net and passed him with a backhand to take a commanding 4-2 lead. Federer broke back to cut Djokovic's lead and tied it 4-4 with an ace down the middle before Djokovic regained control to put himself up 5-4. Federer had a chance to win it with two championship points but then netted a weak forehand to level it again at 8-8.

The set saw four more ties before Djokovic sealed his title victory with a 7-3 win during Wimbledon's first-ever fifth-set tiebreaker.

Djokovic, 32, now has 16 Grand Slam titles.