Wimbledon Tennis 2022 Men's Final: Hot Takes from Novak Djokovic's Win vs. Kyrgios

No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic defeated unseeded Nick Kyrgios in four sets Sunday to win the 2022 Wimbledon men's singles final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

It's Djokovic's fourth straight championship at Wimbledon and seventh overall. He now has 21 Grand Slam titles in his career, trailing only Rafael Nadal, who has 22 majors after winning the Australian and French Opens earlier this year.

Djokovic, 35, was cool and composed throughout the match, never blinking after dropping a first set in which Kyrgios slammed seven aces. At this point, it appears the Serbian might even prefer playing from behind. He did just that in his final three matches at Wimbledon, taking down Jannik Sinner, Cameron Norrie and finally Kyrgios with his back against the wall. Fans and observers once again took notice of his unflappable demeanor and unwavering skill in this match.

Kyrgios, 27, was playing in his first Grand Slam final. He's struggled to harness his talent throughout his career but managed to put it all together in a win over No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round and then caught a break when Rafael Nadal had to withdraw from the semifinals with an abdominal tear.

While Kyrgios couldn't complete the dream run at the All England Club, he certainly made life difficult for Djokovic in the final, hitting some dazzling shots throughout four hard-fought sets.

As can be expected, Kyrgios had his outbursts during the match. He spent time admonishing his supporters' box while also complaining to match officials about a fan who he claims was heckling him throughout the contest.

Kyrgios' famous temper can be a detriment to his play, but he's also had plenty of matches in his career when he's boiled over and still managed to pull out a victory behind his blistering serve and dazzling shot-making. On Sunday, he simply ran into a supremely confident and better player in Djokovic, who ruthlessly exploits others' mistakes while making few of his own. Kyrgios took notice of this trait in the fourth set.

A lack of focus did appear to doom Kyrgios in the fourth-set tiebreaker, where he failed to capitalize on his service points. Djokovic has seen it all in his brilliant career, and Sunday's triumph was another example of what makes him so difficult to play against on any surface.

With the conclusion of Wimbledon, attention will soon turn to the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 29 in New York. Naturally, Djokovic would be a favorite if he plays, but that appears unlikely.

Djokovic has not received the COVID-19 vaccine, which means he is unable to enter the United States. It seems he doesn't plan on getting it, as he told Forbes' Adam Zagoria that it's "up to the U.S. government to make a decision whether or not they allow unvaccinated people to go into the country."

Assuming Djokovic isn't in the field, the player to watch is one who missed out on Wimbledon entirely.

World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev is the defending champion at Flushing Meadows and a threat to win any tournament he enters. He wasn't able to play at Wimbledon because of a tournament ban on Russian and Belarusian players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Medvedev will be a front-runner, but other players to watch include Kyrgios, Sinner, Nadal (if healthy), Carlos Alcaraz and Tsitsipas, among others.