The former world number one asserted that despite being unsure of getting back to the required standards of tennis, he never lost the belief in his abilities.
That trio has combined to win 10 of the past 14 championships at Flushing Meadows: Five for Federer, three for Nadal, two for Djokovic.
It is Djokovic's 13th major trophy, the fourth-highest total in the history of men's tennis. But it's also his first in more than two years.
They participated in the two longest semifinals in the history of a grass-court tournament that dates to 1877.
Djokovic sent the strongest signal yet he is back at the top of tennis by reaching his fifth Wimbledon final with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 3-6, 10-8 victory over rival Rafael Nadal.
They had played on and on, through 6 1/2 hours of ho-hum hold after ho-hum hold, during the second-longest match in the history of a tournament that began in 1877.
The three-time Wimbledon champion was broken in the opening game of the fourth set, but won the next four games and broke again to clinch the victory.
Djokovic complained to the chair umpire but the call stood — even though TV replays also showed Edmund's shot had actually landed wide.
21st-seeded Edmund, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in January, carries the nation's hopes as the only British player remaining in either singles draw.
Cilic's early exit opens up Federer's path to the final even more, with No. 8 Kevin Anderson the highest-seeded player left in the Swiss star's half of the draw after No. 6 Grigor Dimitrov lost in the first round.
The top-seeded Croat first won the Wimbledon warm-up event in 2012, but was the runner-up in 2013 and also lost to Feliciano Lopez in last year's final.
Djokovic will face Marin Cilic in Sunday's final after the top-seeded Croat defeated Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4).
The former world number one Djokovic took two hours and 25 minutes to get into the last eight at Roland Garros for the 12th time on Sunday.
Marco Cecchinato earned the right to face Djokovic for a spot in the semifinals at Roland Garros by eliminating the No. 8-seeded David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 on Sunday.
Djokovic, currently ranked 22 in the world, will now face 13th seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the Round of 32, scheduled to be played on Friday.
Returning to the place where he claimed the second of his three Grand Slam titles did not help Wawrinka shake off his poor form.
The top-ranked Spaniard faces Simone Bolelli of Italy on Court Philippe Chatrier.
As usual, all eyes are on Serena Williams, no matter what — whether she's attending the most talked-about wedding of the year or practicing at Roland Garros.
Nadal and Djokovic have played each other 50 times but their last meeting came more than a year ago, when Nadal won in the Madrid Open semifinals.
Novak Djokovic has struggled since returning from a layoff for a right elbow injury and is yet to reach the quarterfinals in the six tournaments he has played this year.
Top News
Latest News
