Nick Kyrgios hailed Novak Djokovic as "a bit of a god" after losing to the Serbian in four sets in Sunday's Wimbledon men's singles final.

Djokovic lost the opening set, as he did against Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals and Cameron Norrie in the semi-finals, but recovered to claim a fourth-straight crown at SW19.

The top seed, who is now back to within one grand slam title of Rafael Nadal's Open Era record of 22, prevailed 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in a little over three hours.

And Kyrgios, handed a walkover win in his semi-final against Nadal after the Spaniard pulled out injured, led the tributes to Djokovic after his latest major triumph.

"He's a bit of a god, I'm not going to lie," he said in his on-court interview. "I thought that I played well, so I want to congratulate Novak and his team." 

Kyrgios was the first unseeded player to contest a grand slam final since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2008 Australian Open, having previously never made it beyond the final eight.

However, asked if he is hungry for more after his deepest run at a major, Kyrgios joked: "Absolutely not! I'm so tired. Me and my team are exhausted. We've played so much tennis.

"I'm really happy with this result and maybe one day I'll be here again but I don't know about that."

Kyrgios was his usual self on Centre Court, producing some remarkable shots – including an underarm serve – and regularly berating the umpires in equal measure.

However, the world number 40 – the lowest-ranked grand slam male finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (54) at the Australian Open in 2006 – extended a word of thanks to the officials.

"To all the ball kids and also the umpires – I know you and I have a tough relationship at times – but thank you," Kyrgios added.

Novak Djokovic had predicted "fireworks" in Sunday's Wimbledon final with Nick Kyrgios, tennis' self-proclaimed bad boy and as combustible a sports star as they come.

In some regards that proved true, with Kyrgios providing those in attendance and watching at home with a run-through of his greatest hits.

There was plenty of ranting from start to finish – some perhaps going too far – with the odd interaction with the crowd and a broken racquet or two thrown in for good measure.

In between all that, Australia's first finalist here since Mark Philippoussis in 2003 produced some remarkable shots, an underarm serve and brilliantly executed tweener included.

Love him or hate him, this was Kyrgios at his ill-tempered best, and he went a long way to showing there is more to him than just a petulant twentysomething by taking the first set.

At that point, Kyrgios had reeled off five sets in a row across three meetings with his opponent without dropping one. But this is Djokovic, on Centre Court, in a grand slam final.

 And so at the end of a three-hour battle, it was Djokovic who prevailed 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) to make it 21 major titles, pulling him back to within one of Rafael Nadal's record.

It was the enforced withdrawal of Nadal that gave Kyrgios his route into the biggest match of his career, and thus denied the millions viewing around the world their dream final.

While witnessing tennis' two greatest ever players face off once more would have made for quite the spectacle, this was a Championship clash that provided subplots galore.

One of the themes of this year's tournament has been Djokovic's uncharacteristically slow starts, almost teasing opponents into thinking they had his number before striking back.

He trailed Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie in the past two rounds and so that proved again versus Kyrgios, who with those slow starts in mind let Djokovic serve first.

That appeared to be a masterstroke when Djokovic double-faulted first up, yet the Serbian recovered – as he so often does – to hold and settle into the match.

But Kyrgios went on to earn the only break of the first set in the fifth game and let out a huge roar of "Let's go!". If anything, that only worked to fire up his opponent even more.

This was hardly unchartered territory for Djokovic, who also lost the opener in last year's final against Matteo Berrettini before battling to victory in four sets.

The second set proved far more comfortable for the 35-year-old, promoting Kyrgios to take a different approach as he let loose at the umpire. It would not be the last time.

If Kyrgios stuck to his half of the bargain by being his usual self, Djokovic did likewise by focusing solely on his tennis and taking a well-contested third set with a solitary break.

As the lowest-ranked finalist in a grand slam final since Marcos Baghdatis (50) at the Australian Open in 2006, world number 40 Kyrgios surely knew his number was up.

And so it proved as for the 13th time in 15 grand slam matches when losing the opening set, it was Djokovic left celebrating as he claimed a seventh Wimbledon crown.

 This latest comeback also made Djokovic the first player since Ted Schroeder in 1949 to win the title after dropping the first set in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

It will almost certainly not be the four-in-a-row champion's final title, either, though it remains to be seen if Kyrgios will scale these heights again any time soon – if at all.

On this occasion, Djokovic simply proved a step too far as Kyrgios' fireworks fizzled out at the climax of a fascinating Wimbledon campaign.

Novak Djokovic overcame a spirited Nick Kyrgios in four sets to claim his seventh Wimbledon title and 21st grand slam crown on Sunday.

Centre Court played host to a match-up of contrasting experience, with Kyrgios playing his maiden major singles final in what was Djokovic's 32nd such showpiece – an Open Era record.

Djokovic ultimately held his nerve, taking a fourth straight title at the All England Club with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory to move one behind Rafael Nadal's record 22 grand slam titles.

The Serbian also moved level with Pete Sampras in terms of Wimbledon triumphs, only one behind Roger Federer's eight.

 Kyrgios was offered a shot at the title after Nadal withdrew from their semi-final with injury, and he struck first with a break in the fifth game as a nervy Djokovic produced a double fault.

Djokovic continued to struggle to cope with the big-serving Kyrgios, who registered back-to-back aces to take the first set, in which he did not offer the Serbian a single break point.

But Djokovic soon regained his composure and finally broke Kyrgios for the first time in their third career meeting, before saving four break points in the ninth game to level the match.

Kyrgios, irked by a code violation for audible obscenities when displeased with a member of the crowd, then failed to hold his serve at 4-4 as frustrations grew, with Djokovic keeping his cool to secure the third set.

World number 40 Kyrgios rediscovered his serving rhythm to take the fourth set to a tie-break, yet he then made a series of unforced errors as Djokovic secured the title in SW19 once again.

Data slam: Djokovic's Wimbledon dominance continues

At 35 years and 49 days old, Djokovic became the second-oldest man to lift the Wimbledon title in the Open Era, and the Serbian's four consecutive successes at the All England Club only rank behind the five-win streaks of Bjorn Borg (1976-1980) and Federer (2003-2007).

Djokovic has also won 86 times at the London major, his best record in a single grand slam, with only Federer (105) winning more matches at Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, having lost the opening set in each of his past three matches, Djokovic became the first player in the Open Era to win the title at Wimbledon after dropping the first set in the quarter-final, semi-finals and final – and the first overall since Ted Schroeder in 1949.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 46/17
Kyrgios – 62/33

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 15/7
Kyrgios – 30/7

BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 2/4
Kyrgios – 1/6

Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic crossed paths on the practice courts and began making plans to party after Sunday's Wimbledon final, on an unconventional day of build-up to the trophy match.

The pair were once grudge rivals, with Kyrgios ripping into Djokovic on the 'No Challenges Remaining' podcast in 2019, saying the Serbian had "a sick obsession" with wanting to be popular, in the way Roger Federer has enjoyed the love of tennis crowds.

More recently, though, Kyrgios sympathised with Djokovic's plight in January when the Serbian was detained and ultimately deported from Australia in a row over his vaccination status.

That served to stem the flow of bad blood, and Kyrgios has gone as far as to suggest there is a budding "bromance" between the pair.

Djokovic is not quite so sure about that, but the needle that once existed is unlikely to be a factor on Sunday, at least initially. Given the volatility both men may bring onto the court, the rapport could be seriously tested as the match goes on.

Even Djokovic has forecast "fireworks", but that does not necessarily mean ill-feeling.

On Centre Court, Djokovic will be aiming for his seventh Wimbledon title, which would see him tie Pete Sampras as the second most prolific winner of the men's singles in the Open Era, behind Federer's haul of eight.

On Saturday, Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo quoted a conversation between the pair at Wimbledon's Aorangi practice courts, where Djokovic is said to have told Kyrgios: "It took you five years to say something nice about me, haha."

According to Ozmo, who reports for Sport Klub, Kyrgios replied: "But I defended you when it mattered."

Djokovic then reportedly said: "You did, I appreciate that."

The conversation continued on social media, with Kyrgios writing on Instagram: "We friends now?"

Djokovic quipped in reply: "If you are inviting me for a drink or dinner, I accept. P.S. Winner of tomorrow pays."

Kyrgios was not satisfied with that level of celebration, proposing instead: "Let's go to a nightclub and go nuts."

Djokovic and Kyrgios have played twice before, and Kyrgios won both times without dropping a set. They came in 2017 though, at Acapulco and Indian Wells, when Djokovic was at a relatively low ebb.

Now the 35-year-old from Belgrade is targeting a title that would take him to a career haul of 21 grand slam titles, one behind men's all-time leader Rafael Nadal.

It will be a 32nd grand slam final for Djokovic, a men's record, and he is chasing a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title, and a seventh in all. His lone defeat in a Wimbledon final came in 2013 when Andy Murray beat him in straight sets.

In contrast, Kyrgios will be contesting his first grand slam singles final. He won the doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open in January, but this is a massive step up, and he could be coming in slightly cold, after his semi-final against Nadal was cancelled due to the Spaniard's injury withdrawal.

The last Australian men's champion at Wimbledon was Lleyton Hewitt in 2002, but Ash Barty delivered in the women's singles last year, before retiring in March.

Kyrgios, at 40th in the ATP rankings, is the lowest-ranked Wimbledon men's singles finalist since 2003 when his fellow Australian Mark Philippoussis was a lowly 48th on the list.

He is the first unseeded man to reach a slam final since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2008 Australian Open.

Djokovic beat Tsonga that day to land his first grand slam title, and has enjoyed 14 years of plenty since.

That serves as a reminder of the company Kyrgios will be keeping, potentially out of his depth but maybe just enough of a threat if all aspects of his game come together.

Ons Jabeur said she was simply "not ready" to win a grand slam after losing in three sets to Elena Rybakina in the Wimbledon final.

The Tunisian world number two won the first set of Sunday's title match but then faded and slid to a 3-6 6-2 6-2 defeat.

Russian-born Rybakina, who switched nationality to Kazakh four years ago after being offered financial incentives to do so, was able to celebrate a surprise maiden slam title.

Jabeur was disappointed after the loss and told reporters in a news conference: "I couldn't do more, I really tried deep inside everything that I can.

"I did everything since the beginning of the year to really focus on this tournament, I even have the trophy picture on my phone.

"It wasn't meant to be. I cannot force things. I'm not ready for it probably, to be a grand slam champion."

The 27-year-old was optimistic of her chances of eventually making a breakthrough at the highest level, and perhaps a chance will come at the US Open in September.

She said: "I cannot wait to look forward to the next one.

"If I have another final I will learn more from it. I cannot wait to really improve a lot of things in my game.

"I want to [continue to] be a top-five player, I want to win more titles, I want to win a grand slam."

Elena Rybakina produced a breathtaking comeback to win the Wimbledon title as Ons Jabeur fell short in the women's final – a Russian native triumphing in the name of Kazakhstan.

Rybakina, who was born, raised and learned her tennis trade in Moscow, switched to represent Kazakhstan in 2018 after being offered an appealing financial package.

Russians were banned, along with their Belarusian colleagues, from playing at Wimbledon this year by the All England Club, owing to the Kremlin-led invasion of Ukraine.

The decision has cost Wimbledon, and Britain's Lawn Tennis Association, fines totalling $1million, albeit those are being appealed.

And still, somehow, a player with tight Russian ties has prevailed, handed the trophy on Centre Court by the Duchess of Cambridge. This was not, it seems safe to say, the ideal scenario for Wimbledon's blazer brigade.

Yet in Rybakina the tournament has an exciting young champion, and given she turned her back on playing for Russia to represent Kazakhstan, it is hardly a victory that Vladimir Putin can hold up as a great triumph for his country on the global sporting stage.

All the same, some of the power-brokers in SW19 might have been quietly hoping that Jabeur would see this through, the world number two delivering trophy success that would have been celebrated across Africa and the Arab world.

The crowd appeared to be pulling for Jabeur too, after the 27-year-old made herself a favourite thanks to her entertaining, enterprising brand of tennis, matched to a thoroughly charming personality.

The Tunisian, playing the biggest match of her life as the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha got under way, looked like her day in the sun had arrived when on a sizzling London day she took the first set without any particular fuss.

A pre-tournament sally by the seaside with Serena Williams served Jabeur well, their doubles liaison in Eastbourne emboldening the world number two for this fortnight, and yet come crunch point in the final, it all went over the cliff.

There was a skip of satisfaction when Jabeur broke early in that first set, and with the six-foot Rybakina spraying her powerful ground shots often out of court it looked to be a match that could only go one way. There were sizzling winners from Rybakina but too many unforced errors, with 17 in the first set alone.

Perhaps it was the scale of what she was halfway to achieving, but Jabeur's focus then slipped. An ill-advised 'tweener', the between-the-legs party piece favoured by Nick Kyrgios, found the net and pointed to incoming trouble.

Rybakina swept to a 5-1 lead in the second set. Jabeur, known as the "minister of happiness" in Tunisia, soon looked pretty glum as Rybakina levelled the match with an ace on set point.

The winners-to-errors ratio had swung around dramatically from the first set, and when Rybakina sprinted ahead in the decider with an immediate break, dominating the battles of craft as well as the full-power rallies, Jabeur was in the doldrums.

The usually mild-mannered Jabeur lashed out when she was outsmarted at the net by Rybakina, lucky not to make full contact as she swished out at the ball in frustration.

Leading 3-2 and approaching the finish line, Rybakina slipped 0-40 down, as some of Jabeur's great touch returned with drop-shot and lob winners. That could have been a turning point, but Rybakina fended off the danger in terrific style, finishing off the game with a simple volley at the net.

Victory came from the first match point, Jabeur hacking a backhand wide. Rybakina raised her left wrist to her mouth, puffed out her cheeks and jogged up to the net to greet Jabeur, before waving to all corners of Centre Court.

The world number 23, whose age matches her ranking, becomes the second-lowest ranked women's singles champion at Wimbledon since the Open Era began in 1968. Only Venus Williams in 2007, when ranked 31st, triumphed from a lower rung on the ladder.

It was 3-6 6-2 6-2 in the end, and Rybakina became the first women's singles champion since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006 to come back from losing the first set to carry off the Venus Rosewater Dish.

She passed 50 aces in a WTA-level tournament for the first time in the process, with four in this match taking her Wimbledon 2022 total to 53, and becomes the youngest women's champion in these parts since 2011, when a 21-year-old Petra Kvitova saw off Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova was champion for Russia as a 17-year-old in 2004. This, though, was for Kazakhstan, Rybakina effusively thanking the wealthy federation president Bulat Utemuratov who watched on proudly.

As Wimbledon hung on every word, he was emphatically the right president to acknowledge.

Ons Jabeur is hopeful that she will have another shot at winning a maiden grand slam title after losing to Elena Rybakina in three sets in Saturday's Wimbledon final.

The third seed let slip a one-set lead to lose 3-6 6-2 6-2 to Rybakina in a Centre Court clash between two females contesting their first major finals.

World number two Jabeur had won all 11 matches played on grass in 2022 heading into the final, including six wins en route to the Championship match at the All England Club.

But the Tunisian struggled to build on a bright start, winning just two of her 12 break points and finishing with 17 winners to 29 for Rybakina, who she felt was a deserving winner.

"I want to congratulate Elena and her team – it was a great job and she deserved this and hopefully next time it will be mine," Jabeur said in her on-court interview.

"I wouldn't do this without my team there. They always pushed me to do more so thank you for your support and believing me."

Saturday's contest was the first time in the past 15 such occasions, since 2006, that a player has lost the first set and gone on to win the Wimbledon women's singles final.

While she may have fallen just short of becoming the first Arab and African female to win a grand slam, Jabeur hopes she has inspired children back home.

"Elena stole my title but it's okay," she joked. "I love this tournament so much and I feel really sad, but I'm trying to inspire many generations from my country. 

"I hope they are listening. I also want to thank his beautiful crowd for all their support over the two weeks. It's been amazing. I want to wish Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating."

Surprise champion Elena Rybakina doubted she would make the second week at Wimbledon, never mind win the title.

After a 3-6 6-2 6-2 victory over hot favourite Ons Jabeur, Rybakina spoke of her pride at becoming the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a grand slam singles title.

She is Russian-born and raised, switching nationality four years ago after receiving financial incentives to do that, so in a year when players representing Russia were banned from Wimbledon, her triumph has perhaps come at an inopportune moment for tournament chiefs.

Rybakina was concerned purely with sporting success rather than politics and war on a day when she picked apart Jabeur's game so impressively in the second and third sets.

She became the first women's singles champion to come back and win after dropping the opening set of a Wimbledon final since Amelie Mauresmo did so against Justine Henin in 2006.

"I'm speechless because I was super nervous before the match, during the match, and I'm honestly happy it's finished," said Rybakina.

"Really, I've never felt something like this. I just want to say big thanks to the crowd for their support, it was unbelievable all these two weeks.

"I didn't expect to be in the second week at Wimbledon and to be a winner is just amazing."

Rybakina, whose world ranking of 23 matches her age, hailed third seed Jabeur, who had been bidding to become Africa's first women's singles champion in a grand slam.

"I want to thank Ons for the great match and everything you achieved," Rybakina said. "You are inspirational, not just for the young juniors but for everybody. You have an amazing game and I don't think we have someone [else] like this on tour. It's just a joy to play against you."

Rybakina was presented with the trophy by the Duchess of Cambridge, and she savoured playing in front of British royalty.

It has been widely perceived that a factor behind the ban on Russians and Belarusians this year was that the optics of royalty handing over the trophy to a player from either country would not be ideal, given the Kremlin-led ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The Duchess spoke warmly to Rybakina as she presented the trophy, and the newest grand slam winner on the women's tour had a message for the royals, too.

"Thank you for the Royal Box," she said. "I'm playing first time [in front of royalty] and it's an honour to be here in front of you. Thank you so much. It's just an unbelievable atmosphere, thank you."

Elena Rybakina recovered from behind to beat Ons Jabeur in three sets in Saturday's Wimbledon women's singles final and claim her first grand slam title.

In a groundbreaking contest on Centre Court between two females contesting their maiden major finals – an Open Era first – it was number 17 seed Rybakina who held her nerve.

She prevailed 3-6 6-2 6-2 in two hours and 52 minutes against the in-form Jabeur, who had won 11 matches in a row, to win just her third career title – and a first since 2020.

The 23-year-old, who had lost her past four finals, becomes the youngest female to win the singles title at the All England Club since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

World number two Jabeur settled the quicker of the pair and got an early break in the third game, blunting Rybakina's big baseline hitting

Despite passing up two break points in the fifth game, Jabeur looked composed and again broke her opponent in the ninth game to grab a huge foothold in the match.

Rybakina's 17 unforced errors in the opener suggested a gulf in quality, but she earned a first break in the opening game of the second set following a poor forehand from Jabeur. 

Jabeur let a break point of her own pass her by in the next game as a growing-in-confidence Rybakina held, but the Tunisian dug deep to save a break point in the third.

That looked like being a big moment as, from 30-0 up, Rybakina gifted her opponent three break points, but Jabeur failed to take any of them – a running theme.

The Kazakh took three of the next four games to take the match all the way, and that momentum was carried into the decider as she won the opening game against serve.

Jabeur's best shot at hitting back arrived in the sixth game, where three break points came and went, and with that Rybakina claimed the next two games for a famous victory.

"There's definitely times when I hate this sport."

It is difficult to imagine Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic coming out with such a line – but then Nick Kyrgios does not pretend to be comparable to any of those tennis greats.

Kyrgios' maiden major singles final appearance has come about due to unprecedented circumstances, with a tear to Nadal's abdominal muscle making his opponent the first to benefit from a walkover in a Wimbledon semi-final in the Open Era.

"It's not the way I wanted to get to the final," said Kyrgios in the same news conference on Friday.

But injuries are becoming increasingly commonplace for the 'Big Three' – already trimmed from a 'Big Four' due to the fitness woes endured by Kyrgios' great mate Andy Murray.

So, does the first-time finalist see an opportunity to step into that void at the forefront of the sport?

"No, no, I don't," Kyrgios replied. "I don't think anyone's able to fill those shoes."

He added with a grin: "If I ever win a grand slam trophy, please don't put the pressure on my to do another one."

This might be Kyrgios' first and only title run, but it is one he has waited a long time for.

"I saw some of the professionals walking around when I'd be a junior here, and I never thought that I'd be playing for the actual men's title," he said.

"It's the pinnacle of tennis. Once you're able to raise a grand slam trophy, it's like: what else is there to achieve?

"I never thought I'd be here, and I'm just super proud and ready to go. I'm going to give it my all and see what happens."

Australia has waited a long time, too. Aussies have won six Wimbledon men's singles titles but none since Lleyton Hewitt's sole success in 2002.

Their last finalist was Mark Philippoussis in 2003, beaten by Federer for his first championship. By Sunday, 6,944 days will have passed since an Australian man walked out for a singles final on Centre Court.

That sort of legacy does not appeal to Kyrgios, though, as he explained: "The greats of Australian tennis haven't been the nicest to me, and they haven't always been the most supportive – they haven't been supportive these two weeks."

Hewitt is an exception – the Davis Cup captain was briefly a hitting partner prior to the tournament – but Kyrgios considers himself "definitely the outcast of the Australian players".

"It's pretty sad," he said, describing his relationship with other Aussie greats as "weird". "They have a sick obsession with tearing me down. It sucks."

No, rather than bid to join those ranks, Kyrgios believes he is inspiring others like him.

"I grew up in Canberra, the courts I trained on were horrible, and now I'm here with the chance to play the Wimbledon final," he said.

"I think it's honestly an inspiration for any kid who's been 'outcasted' or been surrounded by negative headlines or negative clouds or been brought down from a lot of different angles.

"It's possible, it's still possible to achieve something quite special if you just believe in yourself. I never really lost belief in myself."

There have certainly been no shortage of negative headlines.

Kyrgios spat at a spectator earlier in the tournament; his epic third-round win over Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the matches of the fortnight, but his typically brash approach to that encounter was not widely popular; and when he spoke of having already prepared tactics for Nadal – a previous foe – it was easy to wonder whether Kyrgios intended to outplay his opponent or simply get under his skin.

More seriously, this week started with Kyrgios being summoned to appear before a court in Canberra next month to face an allegation of common assault.

Those Australian greats would not be alone in responding to a Kyrgios victory unenthusiastically, even if the Centre Court crowd appear to have warmed to him.

No amount of noise will be new to Kyrgios, and while this is his first major singles final, a doubles title at the Australian Open provided some vital preparation for getting to this stage, too.

"I realised in Melbourne that it's a long time; it's a really long time in one place," Kyrgios said.

He was ready then for the rollercoaster of a grand slam run: "I beat Paul Jubb 7-5 in the fifth set in my first round, and now I'm in the Wimbledon final. You've just got to ride the waves, roll with the punches.

"In a grand slam, you just don't know; you could be four points away from losing the tournament and then 11 days later you're in the final."

There is undeniable excitement at the opportunity that lies ahead of Kyrgios, who considers himself "one of the most competitive people I've ever met".

But for once he will be able to see the bigger picture if Sunday's match does not go his way; Kyrgios is the first unseeded major finalist since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2008 Australian Open and the first unseeded Wimbledon finalist since Philippoussis.

"I just know whether I win or lose on Sunday, I'm going to be happy, because it's just such a great achievement that I never thought I'd be a part of – especially at 27," Kyrgios said.

"For me, I thought it was the later stages of my career; I just never thought that it would be right here that I'd have a chance."

Now he does have that chance, though, he is determined to give his all – something that has not always been a given with Kyrgios, his critics might suggest.

"Since I've been born, only eight people have won this title, only eight," he said. "I'm just going to give it my best shot."

Novak Djokovic told fans to "expect fireworks" when he faces Nick Kyrgios in his record-breaking 32nd grand slam final at Wimbledon on Sunday.

Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer (31) for the most major finals among male players with his four-set victory over Cam Norrie in Friday's semi-final.

It means he will now face Kyrgios, who progressed without playing after Rafael Nadal withdrew from their last-four meeting due to an abdominal injury.

The six-time Wimbledon champion has never beaten Kyrgios, losing each of their previous meetings in Acapulco and Indian Wells in 2017 in straight sets.

Their third encounter could be one high on emotion. Djokovic appeared to blow kisses towards a heckler in the Centre Court crowd after defeating Norrie while Kyrgios, known for his on-court outbursts, was recently involved in an extremely tempestuous third-round clash with fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"One thing's for sure, there's going to be a lot of fireworks emotionally from both [of us]," Djokovic said on court afterwards. 

"It's going to be his first grand slam final obviously he's very, very excited, he doesn't have much to lose and he's always playing like that.

"He's playing so freely, one of the biggest serves in the game, just big game overall, a lot of power in his shots.

"We haven't played for some time. I've never won a set off him so hopefully it can be different this time.

"It's another final for me here in Wimbledon with the tournament that I love so much so hopefully the experience can work in my favour."

Novak Djokovic is a win away from a seventh Wimbledon title after coming back from a set down to end Cameron Norrie's dream home run at the All England Club.

Norrie was looking to become the first British man to reach the final at the All England Club since Andy Murray's triumph in 2016.

He appeared to have Djokovic unsettled when he won the first set in startlingly comfortable fashion.

However, Djokovic, as he has done so often, recovered superbly to storm to a 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory and set up a final with Nick Kyrgios, who benefited from Rafael Nadal's withdrawal through injury.

The pair traded breaks in the first two games, but Norrie struck a key blow in the fifth game when Djokovic hit long off a low backhand from the Briton. Djokovic fired into the net two games later to hand Norrie a third break of a set he wrapped up with an ace despite two double faults.

Djokovic responded by placing Norrie under sustained pressure on serve and it told in the eighth game of the second when the ninth seed pushed a forehand long, and he did the same off the backhand side as the Serbian levelled the match.

Norrie ballooned a forehand long in the opening game of the third to give the break to Djokovic, who raced away in style thereafter.

An excellent return off a Norrie second serve gave Djokovic a break in the first game of the fourth and he would not be prevented from reaching the finish line despite the home hope's spirited effort.

Data Slam: Djokovic's resilience shines through again

Djokovic has now won 12 of his last 14 grand slam matches after losing the first set. The only exceptions in that run came in the 2021 US Open final defeat to Daniil Medvedev and in the French Open quarter-final loss to Nadal this year.

With neither of those opponents in his way, Djokovic will be expected to claim a 21st grand slam title with triumph over Kyrgios. 

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 38/28
Norrie – 33/36

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 13/1
Norrie – 7/3

BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 5/14
Norrie - 3/4

Nick Kyrgios revealed he was disappointed to be gifted a place in the Wimbledon final, having been determined to earn his shot at the title by beating Rafael Nadal.

But following news of that semi-final walkover, the Australian was so excited he struggled to sleep.

Kyrgios, speaking to the media on Friday, said he learned of Nadal's withdrawal with an abdominal muscle tear only shortly before the Spaniard announced his decision at a news conference.

While Kyrgios – who enjoys a feisty rivalry with the 22-time grand slam champion – sent Nadal a message on Instagram, he was yet to speak to him.

The 27-year-old had been desperate to beat Nadal, but his respect for his opponent was also evident in his words.

"Honestly, my first feeling was a bit of disappointment," Kyrgios said.

"My energy was so focused on playing him and tactically how I'm going to go out there and play, the emotions of walking out there and all that type of stuff.

"It's not the way I wanted to get to the final. As a competitor, I really did want that match – it was obviously something, as soon as I beat Garin, that I knew Rafa was a high possibility.

"It's just someone that I've had so many good battles with before. We've both taken a win against each other at this tournament, and I really did want to see how the third chapter was going to go.

"You never want to see someone like that, [someone] so important to the sport go down with an injury like that. 

"He's just played so much tennis, he's had a gruelling season, so I just hope he recovers. I'm sure I'll play him again on a big stage."

He added: "But obviously it's exciting to say I'll have a chance to play for a grand slam singles title; after everything, it's pretty cool."

Indeed, so exciting Kyrgios endured "a shocking sleep" on Thursday night.

"I got probably an hour of sleep," he said. "Just with everything, the excitement, I had so much anxiety, I was already feeling so nervous – and I don't feel nervous usually."

Kyrgios was concerned the absence of a semi-final match would knock him out of what has been "a pretty good routine" in his run to a first major final.

"People will say, 'he gets another day off', but it's definitely a shock to the system, having been playing so many matches," he explained.

"You play a match at a grand slam and you know, deep down, that you have one day to wind down, let yourself relax and then go again.

"To have two and a half, three days off... today I'm going to emulate not a match scenario but I'm going to try to have a bit more of an extended practice to try to feel like I'm in that same routine.

"That can throw anyone off. At a grand slam, you want to have those matches, you want to have those competitive juices, you want to have those going, the adrenaline.

"That's just something I'm going to have to go into the final without, that semi-final experience.

"That's okay, I'm going to take the positives, rest my body a bit; it's not bad going in there feeling fresh."

Nick Kyrgios has taken to social media to wish Rafael Nadal a speedy recovery after the Spaniard withdrew from the pair's Wimbledon semi-final through injury.

Nadal appeared to be struggling throughout his epic five-set quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, and it was later confirmed the 22-time grand slam champion had suffered a seven-millimetre abdominal tear.

The two-time Wimbledon champion then announced his withdrawal from the competition at a news conference on Thursday, saying he doubted his ability to win two matches while enduring the pain.

Nadal's exit means Kyrgios will become Australia's first male Wimbledon finalist since Mark Philippoussis in 2003, and is the first player to receive a semi-final walkover in the competition in the Open Era.

The enigmatic 27-year-old has since taken to Instagram to wish the Spaniard well, writing: "Different players, different personalities.

"I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon. 'Till next time…"

The Australian has enjoyed a heated rivalry with Nadal since beating him in their first head-to-head meeting at Wimbledon in 2014, with the pair engaging in a couple of high-profile spats.

Kyrgios will now face either Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie in Sunday's final, as he bids to become the first Australian man to win Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt defeated David Nalbandian in 2002.

He has embarked on a box-office run in SW19, coming through five-set thrillers against Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima, as well as winning a fiery third-round contest against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Some 6,944 days will have passed since an Australian man played in a Wimbledon final by the time Kyrgios takes to Centre Court on Sunday, though he will look to fare better than Philippoussis did in 2003's straight-sets loss to Roger Federer.

World number 40 Kyrgios is also the lowest-ranked – and the first unseeded – Wimbledon finalist since Philippoussis (number 48), as well as the lowest-ranked grand slam finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (number 54) at the 2006 Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal says prolonging his career is more important than any trophy after withdrawing from Wimbledon ahead of his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios due to injury.

The second seed played though the pain barrier in beating Taylor Fritz in a five-set thriller in Wednesday's quarter-final, but he later admitted he was unsure if a troublesome abdominal issue would clear up in time for Friday's semi-final.

Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday, despite tests reportedly revealing he had a seven-millimetre abdominal tear, though it ultimately proved in vain as he announced at a news conference later in the day that his match with Kyrgios would not go ahead.

While disappointed at being denied the chance of winning a first calendar Grand Slam, having already won the Australian Open and French Open this year, the 22-time major winner feels he had no choice.

"Unfortunately, as you can imagine, I am here because I have to pull out from the tournament," he said. "As everyone saw yesterday, I have been suffering with a pain in the abdominal [area] and something was not okay there. 

"That is confirmed, I have a tear in the muscle and the communication is too late. I was thinking the whole day, I was thinking about the decision to make, but I think it doesn't make sense to go, even if I try through my career to keep going. 

"It is very tough circumstances but it is obvious if I keep going the injury will be worse and worse. I never thought about the calendar slam, I thought about my diary and my happiness.

"I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at my best. The most important thing to me is happiness over a title."

Nadal showed incredible mental and physical resilience to dig deep and see off first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4), despite being a set down when calling for a medical time-out on Centre Court.

"I make this decision because I don't believe I can win two matches under the circumstances. It is not only I can't serve at the right speed, it is I can't do the normal movement to serve," Nadal added of his decision to pull out.

"After that, to imagine myself winning two matches and for respect for myself in some way, I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at the level I need to play to achieve my goals."

Kyrgios will now receive a bye through to a first grand slam final, where either Cameron Norrie or Novak Djokovic await on Sunday.

As for Nadal, he is hopeful of returning to action within "two-to-three weeks", meaning he will have time to get back up to speed in time for the US Open, which begins on August 29.

"My goal is to go to the Montreal Masters [on August 5]," Nadal said. "Injuries are part of my career. I saw myself with options to win the title, but you have to accept things as they come."