first serb: Wimbledon victor Djokovic honours grass roots

The new world number one’s bizarre celebrations marked what might just be the start of a whole new era for men’s tennis after he defeated Andy Murray’s conqueror Nadal in four sets yesterday to claim his first Wimbledon title in a memorable final.

Nadal was unable to cope with the 24-year-old’s combination of speed and brutal shot selection, relinquishing both his crown and his number one slot after nearly two and a half hours of wildly fluctuating tennis.

“It’s really beautiful,” a beaming Djokovic, who became the first Serb male champion, said afterwards.

“This success kind of makes you rewind the old days, makes you come back to your childhood and remember what you’ve been through to get to this stage.”

Djokovic paid tribute to his family, friends and girlfriend Jelena Ristic, describing how they had all reminisced about his success after leaving their war-torn homeland.

He added: “We all know the situation in our country, how it was with the wars and things like that. It was definitely really difficult to become a tennis professional.”

Celebrities including the actor Alan Rickman, Formula One driver Jenson Button and Bond girl Gemma Arteton looked on as Djokovic won 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

Serbian president Boris Tadic was in the Royal Box to celebrate his country’s success.