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Djokovic imposes his law at Wimbledon and leaves Evans out of options

In a packed Central and under the London sky, Novak Djokovic showed again why he is still one of the great masters of world tennis. The Serb gave no option to Dan Evans and swept him off the court with a resounding 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, in a match that, beyond the result, had the flavor of farewell for the British.

With this victory, the Balkan enters the third round of the tournament where he has already accumulated 99 victories and is still in the race for his eighth Wimbledon title, which would equal Roger Federer's record. But that is not the only goal in mind. Djokovic has his sights set on his 25th Grand Slam, a figure that would allow him to become the most successful player in the history of men's tennis. And the way he played against Evans, it is hard to imagine that he can't achieve it.

The difference in level between the two was clear from the first moment. While Djokovic executed with surgical precision from the baseline and showed his usual reliability on serve, Evans could hardly find a way to compete in the exchanges. He won only nine return points in the entire match and his body language on court made it clear that he knew what was coming. Despite the push from the crowd, there was no way to stop the Serbian machine.

Evans, ranked 154th in the world and with a wildcard under his arm, came into this second round with his hopes intact after winning his first match at Wimbledon since 2021. But meeting Djokovic in this form is simply another story. After a relatively even start, the Serb stepped on the gas and took 13 of the last 15 games. The last set was a “donut” that made it clear who is in charge.

Beyond the defeat, the British player's performance had emotional overtones. With 35 years old, multiple injuries and a ranking that no longer accompanies, this Wimbledon could have been the last for Evans. He has not confirmed it, but neither has he ruled it out. In the run-up to the tournament, he was already visibly emotional when talking about what this tournament means and the difficulties he has gone through in recent times. And although the result did not go his way, the ovation from the crowd as he left the court was the best possible recognition.

Djokovic, for his part, continues to do his own thing. With the retirement of Federer and Nadal, he is the only one of the ‘Big Three’ that remains active and with the level to dominate. “I don't have time to think about retirement,” he said after the match, with a smile. “That time will come, maybe on a beach with Rafa and Roger, but right now I'm focused on continuing to win.”

In the next round, the Serb will face his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic, in a fratricidal duel with a Balkan flavor. Kecmanovic is talented, but Djokovic, if he keeps it up, looks unbeatable on London grass.

Thursday was also not a good day for British tennis players in general. Jack Pinnington Jones, in his main draw debut, lost to Flavio Cobolli, while Arthur Fery was also unable to recover from his match against Luciano Darderi, which had been suspended on Tuesday. With Evans, there are now three locals eliminated in a day to forget.

Wimbledon continues to advance and, as so many times in the last decade, all eyes are once again on Djokovic. Will this be the year of the 25th? The way he is playing, there doesn't seem to be many arguments to deny it.