Novak Djokovic doubles down on Wimbledon claim that may come back to bite him

Novak Djokovic has piled pressure on himself at Wimbledon by firmly agreeing that he is the favourite to win the men’s title. Djokovic made it to the semi-finals courtesy of a four-set win over Andrey Rublev on Tuesday evening, although more high-quality opponents await.

On paper, Rublev was to provide Djokovic’s toughest opposition so far at this year’s tournament. The seventh seed may have given one or two Djokovic fans a scare by taking the first set, but the Serb soon came roaring back in trademark fashion.

Seemingly best when under pressure or on the ropes, Djokovic romped to the next three sets and clinched the match in under three hours. World No 8 Jannik Sinner stands between him and yet another Wimbledon final, where he could meet top seed Carlos Alcaraz.

But having gone undefeated on Centre Court for over a decade, and undefeated in a completed Wimbledon match since 2016, Djokovic had no problem in claiming that he considers himself to be the favourite.

“I mean, I don’t want to sound arrogant, but of course I would consider myself favorite,” he told reporters. “Judging by the results I had in my career here, previous four occasions of Wimbledon that I won, and reaching another semi-final, I do consider myself favorite, yes.”

Djokovic’s comments came after another self-assured statement on Centre Court following his win over Rublev. When asked how it felt to be the player everyone else wants to beat, he responded: “I love it.

The 36-year-old is gunning for the 24th Grand Slam title of his career, which would move him two clear of Rafael Nadal at the top of the all-time men’s charts, and the eighth Wimbledon triumph of his career, which would move him level with Roger Federer.

And with plenty of gas left in the tank, many expect Djokovic to kick on and solidify his case to be considered the greatest male tennis player of all time, which would be given a fresh boost by going all the way at the All England Club.