Wimbledon Tennis 2019 Men's Final: Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic Predictions

The 2019 Wimbledon tournament will have its dream final on Sunday between defending champion Novak Djokovic and record champion Roger Federer.

The Swiss star has won the tournament eight times―most recently in 2017―and beat longtime rival Rafael Nadal in four sets in the semi-finals. Djokovic has won four titles on the iconic London lawns, and he got past Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets to book his spot.

Head-to-Head

The 32-year-old Djokovic holds a 25-22 advantage over 37-year-old Federer. Crucially, the Serb has won five of their last six meetings. Their last two meetings on grass―both at Wimbledon―also went to Djokovic, and Federer hasn't beaten him on the playing surface since the 2012 semi-finals.

Form

Federer is 32-4 on the year, while Djokovic is 28-6. Both have played to a high standard so far during the tournament, with Federer dropping just three sets and Djokovic dropping two.

While many expected Federer to have the tougher challenge on Friday, Bautista Agut―who had won three of his last five meetings with Djokovic―pushed the World No. 1 hard, forcing him to play his best tennis:

Federer looked as good as ever against Nadal:

There's little to separate these two in terms of form, although Federer has a slightly better record this year.

Predictions

This final is shaping up to be a great one, as neither player stands out as the clear favourite. Djokovic's recent record over Federer would suggest he has the inside track, but the two haven't met on grass since 2015, a surface on which the Swiss veteran is unbeaten so far this year.

One factor could be the Wimbledon crowd, which tends to root for Federer on most occasions.

Djokovic lost his cool dealing with the spectators in his win over Bautista Agut, but as tennis writer David Law noted, he tends to play better when it happens:

Tennis player Kristie Ahn expects the British fans to back Federer on Sunday:

His track record of success at Wimbledon is impressive, and his game is perfectly suited for the quicker lawn courts. Djokovic has had his number of late, however, and has already won a Grand Slam this year.

Prediction: Djokovic outlasts Federer in a five-set epic.