Novak Djokovic completed his comeback after two years away from the winner’s circle with a 6-2 6-2 7-6(3) victory over Kevin Anderson in the Wimbledon final. In truth, it was a victory that played out as much in the dramatic, unprecedented build up, after the pair arrived in the final after three dramatic, extra innings five-setters.

For Kevin Anderson, the back-to-back physical and mental effects of his euphoric comeback from a two-set deficit to defeat Roger Federer, followed directly by the tortuous, endless 6-hour marathon against John Isner proved too much of an impediment.

The South African started the match by handing over his opening service game with three unforced errors and a double fault. That first game left Djokovic with little doubt over what was necessary to secure his 13th slam, and he ensured that he landed as many returns as possible and facilitated Anderson’s early self-destruction by making as few errors as possible.

Djokovic finished the first set with one solitary unforced error and two winners, which rose only to six in each column in the second set as riddled by nerves and fatigue, Anderson offered little contest.

Finally, in the third set, Anderson understood that he had little chance unless he took risks and fully backed himself. He reached double break point on Djokovic’s serve, which Djokovic saved with one unreturned serve and a serve followed by a forehand. After shuffling across the tightrope above a possible fourth set, the Serb rose in the tiebreak to secure an unremarkable match.

“I couldn't pick the better place, to be honest, in the tennis world to peak and to make a comeback,” he said afterward. “Wimbledon has been always a very special tournament to me, and to many players obviously. I dreamed of winning it when I was a seven-year-old boy. I made a lot of improvised Wimbledon trophies from different materials. I really always dreamed of winning Wimbledon”

It was interesting to see Djokovic, assured that he is past the moments of angst and doubt that shackled him as recently as his defeat to Marco Cecchinato in Roland Garros, finally willing to speak more frankly than ever about the physical and mental turmoil over the past years that left him, at times, doubting whether he’d ever return.

“There were several moments where I was frustrated and questioning whether I can get back on desired level or not,” he said. “But that makes this whole journey even more special for me. As I said, it's easy to talk now and look back at it and be kind of grateful, but I really am grateful to go through this kind of, so to say, mixed emotions, turbulences as well mentally, moments of doubt and disappointment and frustration, anger.”

Despite reassuring journalists during the events that the pain was either free or abating, he particularly revealed that his disastrous attempt to return in Indian Wells and Miami, ending in catastrophic defeats to Taro Daniel and Benoit Paire, were vigorously contested by his team and the people around him.

“I was still feeling a little bit of discomfort and pain playing Indian Wells, Miami,” he said. “I just kept going even though everyone was against me competing at that stage. I took the responsibilities.

“I could not imagine myself being away from the tour another few months after being away from the tour six months in the last season. So, I had to learn the lessons in a hard way.”

Djokovic’s Wimbledon title marked 2018 as the first year since 2012 that all three members of the big 3 each secured slams. Just a year removed from the bombastic returns of Federer and Nadal from their own injury troubles, his recovery further highlighted the indefatigable greatness of the big four.

As the tennis world continues to look beyond for the next generation of superstars, all three continue to remind both onlookers and competitors that any new entrants will only succeed on their terms.