Novak Djokovic Beats Kevin Anderson to Win 2018 Wimbledon Men's Final

Novak Djokovic is back on top of the tennis world.

The former world No. 1 put together a dominant performance Sunday, earning a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over Kevin Anderson to take the 2018 Wimbledon men's championship.

Djokovic, who spent most of the last calendar year struggling with and recovering from an elbow injury, left no doubt on his way to a 13th major championship. He systematically picked apart Anderson, whose efforts—even on his fierce service game—proved futile.

The final was a stark contrast to the semis, which featured a pair of five-set marathons that set expectations sky-high. Djokovic overcame longtime rival Rafael Nadal in an instant classic, taking the fifth set 10-8 in a match that went past curfew Friday and resumed in the morning Saturday.

Of course, that only happened because Anderson defeated John Isner in a 50-game fifth set that proved to be a war of attrition. Neither Anderson nor Isner broke one another for hours; the match was a consistent flow of two- or three-shot rallies.

Djokovic offered a polar-opposite experience. One of the greatest defensive players in the history of tennis, he returned Anderson's serves and rarely seemed out of control—even on first-serve returns. Djokovic converted all four of his break chances and dominated Anderson on his second serves, while Anderson committed 32 unforced errors.

It wasn't until the third set that Anderson generated any type of momentum. Even then, though, he couldn't capitalize on his ample chances to extend the match. Anderson failed to convert on all seven of his break-point chances, including six in the third set.

The South African finished the match with six more winners than Djokovic (26-20), but his opponent made only 13 unforced errors. Djokovic's performance was a masterclass in defensive tennis, as he kept rallies open and waited for Anderson to make mistakes.

Djokovic is alone at fourth on the all-time Grand Slams list with 13, having passed Aussie Roy Emerson with his victory. He's one behind Pete Sampras for third place. With four Wimbledon championships, Djokovic is fourth among men for most titles at the All England Club.