Wimbledon Tennis 2022 Men's Final: Novak Djokovic vs. Nick Kyrgios Predictions

For many tennis players, a one-year drought of not winning a Grand Slam title isn't that long. But most tennis players aren't Novak Djokovic.

From 2011-21, Djokovic won 19 major tournaments. He also won each of the first three Grand Slam events in 2021. But since winning Wimbledon last year, Djokovic hasn't captured a major title. He lost in the final of the 2021 U.S. Open, missed the 2022 Australian Open because of his COVID-19 vaccination status and lost in the quarterfinals of the 2022 French Open.

Back at Wimbledon this summer, Djokovic is closing in on ending his year-long drought. The 35-year-old Serb is set to play in the men's singles final on Sunday, when he'll face off against Nick Kyrgios for the title on Centre Court.

Kyrgios will be playing in his first Grand Slam singles final. The 27-year-old Australian had never previously made it past the quarterfinals at a major tournament, and he hadn't reached that point since the 2015 Australian Open.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into this year's Wimbledon men's singles final.

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Men's Singles Final Information

Date: Sunday, July 10

Time: 9 a.m. ET

TV: ESPN

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Preview, Predictions

This will be the third time that Djokovic and Kyrgios have faced off, and Kyrgios has actually won each of the first two meetings. Both of those matches came on hard courts in 2017, with Kyrgios winning in straight sets both times.

Still, Djokovic is the clear better player and an overwhelming favorite heading into Sunday's Wimbledon final. And there's a good chance he faces little trouble in defeating Kyrgios to earn his 21st career Grand Slam title.

Kyrgios didn't have to play a semifinal match to reach this point. If he had, he may not even be here. He was set to take on Rafael Nadal, whose 22 career titles at major tournaments is the record in men's tennis, but the Spaniard withdrew from the tournament because of an abdominal injury.

Of Kyrgios' first five wins at this year's Wimbledon, his most impressive was his third-round victory over No. 4-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas. Kyrgios outlasted Tsitsipas for a 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) win, knocking out one of the best players in the tournament.

Kyrgios then needed five sets to defeat Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round before winning in straight sets against Cristian Garin in the quarterfinals. Now, Kyrgios will face the biggest challenge of his tennis career thus far: a matchup with Djokovic in a Grand Slam final.

"I never thought I’d be here," Kyrgios said, per Simon Cambers of The Guardian. "I’m just super proud, and I’m just ready to go. I’m going to give it my all and we’ll see what happens.”

That's what it will take for Kyrgios to have a chance against Djokovic. Even though Kyrgios is 2-0 in the head-to-head series, it's much different to face Djokovic on this stage, where he's been so successful for more than a decade.

Djokovic hasn't been quite as dominant during this run to the Wimbledon final. Of his first six matches at the tournament, three went to four sets, and one even went a full five sets.

In the quarterfinals, Djokovic lost the first two sets to No. 10-seeded Jannik Sinner before bouncing back for a 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory. Djokovic also dropped the first set of his semifinal matchup against No. 9-seeded Cameron Norrie before winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Nonetheless, Djokovic has reached the Wimbledon final for the eighth time and will be looking to win the tournament for a seventh time. He's also seeking a fourth consecutive Wimbledon victory.

If Djokovic falls behind against Kyrgios, he'll know how to handle it after his recent adversity early in matches.

"The more you experience these kind of situations, not the better you feel, but just more prepared you feel. You know what to expect," Djokovic said, per Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press. "It’s always really about handling your own nerves better than maybe your opponent is his own. This internal battle is always the greatest."

But Djokovic may not need to come from behind in the final. He knows how to handle this stage, while Kyrgios is here for the first time. Djokovic could come out much stronger than he has in his previous matches.

So expect Djokovic to put on a dominant performance as the clear better player in this matchup. Kyrgios will have some strong moments, but not enough to stand a chance against Djokovic, who won't drop a set.

Prediction: Djokovic wins in straight sets