For years, Novak Djokovic had looked almost unbeatable at Wimbledon. By 2018, however, he was no longer the same player. The Serbian had spent much of the previous year struggling with a right elbow injury.
He eventually underwent a medical procedure after the 2018 Australian Open, but his problems continued. He lost early at Indian Wells and Miami, struggled for consistency on clay and by June he had fallen to No. 22 in the world which was his lowest ranking since 2006. For a player who had been No. 1 for so long, it was a strange place to be ahead of the Championship.
Wimbledon 2018 SF — 7-7 in the final set, BP Nadal.
Djokovic hits a hooking cross-court pass right by him.
Exactly 1 year later, he hit the same exact shot to save championship point against Federer at the Wimbledon final.
Legendary mental strength. 🥶
https://t.co/Z712FQbAZq
— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) April 25, 2026
Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon without a title in 2018 and with plenty of questions surrounding his form. But something started to change at the All England Club. He moved through the early rounds before facing Rafael Nadal in the semi-final. It turned into one of the great Wimbledon battles. The match stretched across two days and lasted five hours and 15 minutes. Djokovic eventually won 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9), 3-6, 10-8, saving five break points in the deciding set. Both players produced 73 winners and it was a thriller.
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Novak Djokovic went from No. 22 to Wimbledon Champion
That victory mattered more than simply reaching the final. Djokovic had beaten Nadal in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time and, more importantly, looked like the player tennis fans remembered. Waiting in the final was Kevin Anderson, who had already survived two five-set matches earlier in the tournament. Djokovic did not let the opportunity slip. He won the final 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3), claiming his fourth Wimbledon title and his first Grand Slam trophy since the 2016 French Open.
But the comeback was only beginning. After Wimbledon, Djokovic won the Cincinnati Masters, becoming the first player to complete the Career Golden Masters by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. He then won the US Open. By the end of the season, he had climbed all the way from No. 22 to year-end world No. 1, becoming the first player to fall outside the Top 20 and finish the same season at the top. From injury and uncertainty to Wimbledon champion and world No. 1, Djokovic’s 2018 season became one of the greatest comebacks of his career.
