Novak Djokovic said a sense of a higher connection helped him in one of his most famous wins, the five-set victory over Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final. Speaking on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, which has over four million subscribers on YouTube, Djokovic reflected on saving two championship points before lifting the trophy.

“I really don’t know how I won certain matches,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted.

“I cannot explain it, even to my team after I would finish a Grand Slam final against Roger Federer in 2019 Wimbledon, when he was the far better player.

“I saved some match points and I came off the court, all the stats were going his way, but I won the match.

“I wasn’t playing well, I wasn’t feeling well. I was just struggling, scrambling, and trying to stay out there and stay alive

“I won, in the end, in one of the most epic finals in the history of tennis. I told to my parents and my team, and my wife, that I don’t know how I won this match – I have no idea.

“At the same time, I do know that, deep inside, there is a connection happening and that there is also that help.

“It’s a mix of things, sometimes there is this divine power that – if you allow it and believe it – that really helps you come out of trouble and achieve things.”

Djokovic noted that Federer led the match in several raw metrics yet could not close it out: Federer hit 15 more aces, 40 more winners, 14 more points, and four more games. Djokovic also described the challenge of playing in a crowd that largely favoured his opponent and the mental work required to turn that energy to his advantage.

“To be able to transform and transmute that energy or that cheering that is against you to believe that it is for you,” he added.

“I was saying this years ago, after I played Federer in the Wimbledon final, they would cheer ‘Roger, Roger’ all the time, basically.

“So, I was convincing myself, and managed to convince myself in the second half of the match, that they were cheering ‘Novak, Novak’ that’s what I was hearing.

“My mind was playing games, but I wasn’t allow it to play games with me.

“I was using that as my own force and fuel, it is possible, you need to work on that, convincing yourself something that is different from what is reality that is actually happening.”

Asked about retirement and his place among the next generation, Djokovic said he still feels capable of competing with the best. “I don’t see myself fully satisfied because I have that part of me which is like, you know, I think I can still do more,” stated the former world No 1. He added that the departures of older rivals were difficult but that he aims to share his experience with young players such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the tour evolves.

Iga Świątek’s triumph at Wimbledon produced a clear financial milestone as much as a sporting one. The six-time Grand Slam winner moved to $40,596,773 in career prize money after collecting the 2025 singles winner’s cheque of £3,000,000 ($4,069,500) at SW19. She was No 8 on the all-time list before the grass-court major; the Wimbledon payoff has propelled her to No 3 and placed Venus Williams within reach.

Swiatek was the last woman standing as she defeated first-time major finalist Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win her first title at SW19. The 24-year-old has accumulated $7,454,782 in earnings for the 2025 season so far and, with several large events remaining, could yet surpass $10m for the year.

Her earnings trajectory has been steep. In 2019 she earned “only” $633,807, and the following year she broke the $1m mark, thanks to her Roland Garros title run $2,261,213. In 2021 she made $1,923,151. Swiatek’s best season came in 2022 when she made $9,875,525; she followed with $9,857,686 and $8,550,693 in the next two years.

On the all-time WTA list Swiatek sits behind Serena Williams, who leads on $94,816,730, and Venus Williams, on $42,673,594. Simona Halep is the only other player to have passed $40m, at $40,236,618. The top-10 list also includes Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitová, Aryna Sabalenka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber with the amounts noted in the standings.

Practical opportunities remain for further movement. The US Open guarantees $2,500,000 for finalists and $5,000,000 for the champion, sums that could lift Swiatek past Venus if she reaches the final. If she surpasses $10m for 2025, she would become only the fourth woman to record a season above that mark, joining the seasons listed for Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty and Angelique Kerber in the draft’s figures.

After his four-set loss to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, Carlos Alcaraz showed remarkable composure and readiness as he arrived at the Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, who had maintained an unblemished 5-0 record in major finals including consecutive Wimbledon titles in 2023 and 2024, explained how he quickly regained his equilibrium.

“I obviously didn’t want to lose any finals that I play, even more if it’s a Wimbledon final or a Grand Slam final,” said Alcaraz. “I left the court happy. I left the court proud. I left the court smiling, just thinking, ‘Ok, at some point, I have to lose a Grand Slam final. Everyone does.’ I’m just proud.”

He added that his recovery took “hours, not even days,” emphasizing gratitude for his achievements and the experience of reaching a Wimbledon final, despite the setback. Alcaraz’s approach underscores a maturity beyond his 22 years, as he transitioned swiftly from a brief summer break into preparing for the upcoming US Open season.

Alcaraz’s summer vacation involved completely stepping away from training and the gym, preferring rest over exercise. “For myself, when I’m off, I’m off,” he said with a smile. He recounted how he chose sleep over keeping up with friends’ morning runs, simply waiting for them with breakfast.

Having skipped the National Bank Open in Toronto, Alcaraz enters Cincinnati refreshed and eager to capture a Masters title that has eluded him so far. His near-miss in Cincinnati last year saw him lose a memorable final to Novak Djokovic.

His burgeoning rivalry with Sinner remains one of the key narratives in men’s tennis. The pair have shared the last seven trophies almost evenly, with Sinner holding a slight edge in recent Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz leads their overall head-to-head 8-5 but acknowledges the significance of their contest.

“I’m really happy to be building such a great rivalry against Jannik,” he said. “Jannik and I, we’ve done great things in tennis already in such a short period. I let the people talk about our rivalry or the things we have done for the history books. I’m thinking about the history we’re making in tennis, but I think we have such long careers ahead, just to see how far we can go. If we already made history in tennis or not, that’s just for the people to discuss.”