Novak Djokovic Recalls the Famous ‘Finger Lady’ from the Wimbledon 2019 Final Against Roger Federer

Novak Djokovic secured his place in the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships after beating Flavio Cobolli in four sets. The Serbian legend is now in his 14th semi-final at the All England Club, but has not forgotten his 2019 triumph at the tournament over Roger Federer in an epic five-set final.

The 2019 final between Djokovic and Federer is regarded as one of the greatest clashes in the history of the tournament, as it needed four hours and 55 minutes for a winner to be crowned. The former won the first before Federer replied by winning the second set. Djokovic then claimed the third set and Federer responded by winning the fourth.

The match progressed to the fifth and ultimately to a tiebreak. After both players had won seven points each, Federer then led 8-7 (40-15). With the Centre Court backing the Swiss legend, the camera panned to a woman who stood, raising her index finger, which meant that Federer just needed one point to seal the win and claim the victory.

But he failed to do that and for the first time ever, the men’s singles final ended with a 12-12 fifth set. To decide the winner, both players had to score seven points, with an advantage of two or three points. Djokovic won seven points to three against Federer, ultimately winning the match 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12 (7-3).

After reaching the 2025 Wimbledon semi-final, a reporter then reminded him of the 2019 victory and said that the famous woman is now rooting for him to win the championship this time around. Djokovic replied that the triumph over Federer was a positive one and that he’s very thankful for the woman’s support:

I didn’t see it when I was playing on the court. But I know exactly when it happened because lots of my fans have been sharing and reposting that picture and they still do that today after six years. Remembering 2019 finals is very positive for me because I came down from two match points to win. And the picture can be used as the main reference of the match. And that’s ok… She’s rooting for me now? Wow. That’s a nice turnaround. I’m very thankful for that.

pic.twitter.com/PoQ9vSLN0G

— Chad Dinas (@ChadDinas) July 10, 2025

However, Federer remains the player to have won the most Wimbledon titles (8), while Djokovic has seven. Djokovic has been seeking to tie Federer’s record at the tournament, but failed in 2023 and 2024. The 38-year-old will look to keep his hopes alive this season as he takes on Jannik Sinner in the semi-final on Friday (July 11).

Novak Djokovic reveals what leads to players’ burnout on tour

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev made scary statements about being in the most difficult situation of their careers after exiting the Wimbledon Championship. That also adds to the complaint from players, who are demanding the tennis schedule, which runs from January through to November, be shortened.

Novak Djokovic was asked for his opinion on the issues on tour. The Serbian revealed that one of the main problems is that players are being pushed too early into strict professionalism before being developed enough to handle it:

The fact is, in my opinion, that kids are pushed too early into strict professionalism, before they’ve developed emotional intelligence, which is part of psychological preparation for life. When a talent is spotted, they push them professionally – just play, play, play – and then all sorts of agents latch on, those with interest in success, and they push the player to play as much as possible so they earn more.

Djokovic endured a rough patch in his career as he had to wait over a year to win his first tour-level title at the Geneva Open. What separates the 38-year-old from other players on tour is that he remains determined in the face of adversity.

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