MASON, Ohio—Novak Djokovic completed his comeback from elbow surgery by winning Wimbledon for the fourth time. He’s inching closer to one of the few titles to elude him throughout his career.
Djokovic overcame an upset stomach and a sluggish first set Wednesday, beating Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 before heavy rain halted afternoon matches at the Western & Southern Open.
The 10th-seeded Djokovic demonstrated he’s back in form by winning another Wimbledon title last month. Now he’s trying to get his hard-court game ready for the U.S. Open, the latest step in his long comeback. He’s been inconsistent while changing from grass to hard courts.
“I know from experience it might come very quickly,” he said. “So I’m hoping for that.”
First, he’d love to win a Cincinnati title and complete a personal quest. Djokovic is trying to become the first to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 trophies.
Djokovic has reached the finals at Cincinnati five times and dropped all five matches — three to Roger Federer, two to Andy Murray.
“I think it adds more to the motivation rather than pressure,” Djokovic said. “I really want to win this tournament. I definitely need to play better than I have in the first couple of matches.”