He had been largely well behaved since his explosive third-round win over Stefanos Tsitsipas and maintained that in a sublime first set.

None of those players had the sort of rollercoaster ride on and off the court that Kyrgios has had this fortnight, including finding out that he is facing a charge of assaulting his former girlfriend, and it was difficult to know which version of the combustible Australian would walk out on to Centre Court. Since Roger Federer’s first Wimbledon title in 2003, only Andy Murray has managed to break the big three stranglehold, with Mark Philippoussis, Andy Roddick, Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic, Kevin Anderson and Matteo Berrettini all coming up short in finals. Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their Men's Singles Final match on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Jin London, England.

Having found a taste for grand slam silverware by winning the Australian Open doubles title, here he was trying to live up to his words that he has got the tennis to beat the world’s best on the biggest stage. If Kyrgios has often given the impression throughout his career that he does not really care about tennis, there can be no pretence in a Wimbledon final. The 27-year-old was immaculate on both counts for a set but began increasingly to lose his cool as the scoreboard turned in Djokovic’s favour, earning a warning for swearing while also constantly berating his box. Much of the excitement for the match centred on how Kyrgios would both perform and behave in his first major singles final. Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy following his victory against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during their Men's Singles Final match on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Jin London, England. It has been a difficult season for Djokovic but he has once again been able to rely on the lawns of Centre Court to bring the best out of him, and he raised his arms aloft after securing a 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (3) victory.

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