Novak Djokovic’s epic five-set win over Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final on Sunday attracted a peak TV audience of 9.6 million on BBC 1.

On a huge day for British sport, an average of six million people tuned in to watch the longest ever Wimbledon final, lasting four hours 57 minutes.

England’s Cricket World Cup final win over New Zealand was watched by a peak of 7.9m across Channel Four and Sky.

A peak of 2.5 million viewers watched the British Grand Prix on Channel Four.

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Sky was the live TV rights holder for the Cricket World Cup and agreed to show the final on free-to-air television once England secured their place.

An average of 1.6 million people watched the action from Lord’s on Sky with an average of 2.4 million watching on Channel 4, with the peak occurring at 19:25 BST during New Zealand’s super over.

The peak audience for the Wimbledon final was at 19:05 during the historic fifth-set tie-break, which Djokovic won 7-3 to claim his fifth title at SW19.

The British Grand Prix was watched by an average of 1.8 million viewers with the peak at 15:30 as Hamilton took the chequered flag to win the race for a record sixth time.

The highest TV sport audience of the year so far remains England’s semi-final defeat by the USA in the Women’s World Cup on 2 July, which had peak viewing figures of 11.7 million. The game attracted an average audience of 10.3 million.

Episode one of BBC One’s Line of Duty is the most watched programme overall of 2019 with 13.2 million, based on 28-day viewing data.

Tennis fans must “wake up to the greatness” of Novak Djokovic after he won his 16th Grand Slam, says his former coach Boris Becker.

Serbia’s Djokovic, 32, won his fifth Wimbledon title by beating Centre Court favourite Roger Federer in a classic.

Victory in the longest ever Wimbledon singles final moved him closer to Federer’s men’s record of 20 major triumphs. Rafael Nadal, with 18, separates the pair.

Djokovic struggled to win over a pro-Federer crowd, who clapped some of his misses and jeered him at one point during a tense final set.

“It triggered him to fight in the fifth set,” said Becker, who coached Djokovic between 2013 and 2016.

“He got a bit riled and gave some stares to people in the crowd but that’s how he works, that’s how he ticks.

“There comes a point when you get frustrated, but I thought he handled himself well and was mentally well prepared.”

Swiss second seed Federer, 37, was aiming for a record-extending ninth men’s singles title at the All England Club, which would have matched Martina Navratilova’s all-time leading tally.

Federer is the darling of the Centre Court crowd and was backed by the majority of the 15,000 fans in what became an increasingly partisan atmosphere.

That was most apparent when Djokovic was booed when he went over to chair umpire Damian Steiner to discuss what he felt was a late Hawk-Eye challenge from Federer.

“Federer is the greatest of all-time here and has the right to get that love, but on the other side you have to respect a four-time champion a little bit more,” said Becker, a three-time winner at SW19.

“I hope next year, if they played again, it would be more even.

“He came into the party that was the Roger and Rafa party and he became the party pooper.

“Now, after 16 majors, people have got to wake up to the greatness of Novak Djokovic.”

‘Djokovic wants to be the greatest’

Djokovic retained his Wimbledon title by fighting off two championship points before beating Federer with a record four hours 57 minutes on the clock.

And Becker believes the world number one will not rest until he has surpassed Federer and Nadal.

“Novak is not quite happy yet,” the German said. “He’s one of the greatest of all of time but he wants to be the greatest of all time.

“He should be more than proud to have achieved 16 majors. If you told him that 15 years ago he would have said ‘I don’t believe you’ and he would have taken one or two.”

Djokovic’s triumph means he has now won four of the past five Grand Slam titles and, being almost six years younger than Federer, could add plenty more barring a loss of form or fitness.

His pursuit of Federer and Nadal is made more remarkable by the fact he won his first major in 2008 – when Federer had claimed 13 and Nadal five – and only added a second three years later.

“Honestly I think he can overtake them, but I wouldn’t like to say that for sure,” said Becker. “The race is on.

“This endless talk of who will be the most successful will continue as long as all three of them are playing.

“I don’t see the end of the road for any of the three. I believe all of them will win more Grand Slams.

“Novak’s work ethic is 24/7 and he actually admitted at the end that Federer – still reaching Grand Slam finals at the age of 37 – inspired him.”

Tim Henman, a former British number one and three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, also believes Djokovic’s hunger will only increase.

“This victory will motivate him to keep putting in the hard work and winning more titles. Federer and Nadal are very much in his sights,” he added.

“He’s a year younger than Nadal and five younger than Federer – we all know he fancies overtaking those two.”

‘Sometimes it is lost Djokovic is one of the greatest grass-courters’

Djokovic’s fifth Wimbledon win, in addition to triumphs in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2018, saw him move alongside Swedish great Bjorn Borg in terms of Open era victories.

Only Federer (eight) and Pete Sampras (seven) have won more since the sport became open to professional players in 1968.

“I think because of Federer winning eight, it is sometimes lost that Djokovic is one of the greatest grass-court players in history,” Henman said.

“He’s up to five and you wouldn’t put it past him winning more titles in future.”

‘This will sting Federer’ – but he can win more Slams

Federer, who turns 38 next month, was bidding to become the oldest Grand Slam men’s singles champion in the Open era and missed two opportunities for the title at 8-7 in the decider before going on to lose about 45 minutes later.

“There’s no doubt Federer will be massively disappointed,” Henman said.

“In terms of disappointments in his career this will be right up there. To have two match points and against one of his biggest rivals on his favourite court – it will hurt.

“I know he’s good at controlling his emotions, but this will sting for a long, long time.”

Becker does not think Federer has seen his last chance of Wimbledon glory disappear, however.

“I think he can go from strength to strength. I was very impressed with his fitness and his quality of play against Nadal and Federer,” he added.

“I don’t see him slowing down yet.”

Roger Federer said letting slip two championship points in his Wimbledon final loss to Novak Djokovic was “such an incredible opportunity missed”.

The Swiss, 37, led Djokovic 8-7 40-15 on his serve in the final set but the Serb fought back to win 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 13-12 (7-3) in four hours and 57 minutes.

Victory for Federer would have given him a ninth Wimbledon singles title.

“I don’t know what I feel right now… I can’t believe it,” said Federer.

“You just always try to push yourself to see things on the better side. But it was definitely tough to have those chances.”

Federer also held two break points when Djokovic served at 11-11 in the deciding set but could not convert them.

It was the longest singles final in Wimbledon history and the first fifth-set tie-break to be played in a Wimbledon final.

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It is the second time Federer has been involved in the longest singles final at Wimbledon – and ended up losing too – after he was beaten by Rafael Nadal in 2008.

Federer has lost his past five meetings with Djokovic in Grand Slams, last beating the Serb at Wimbledon in 2012.

He still holds the all-time men’s Grand Slam record of 20 singles titles but Djokovic now has 16 with Nadal on 18.

“It used to be a really, really big deal, I guess when you were close,” Federer said of the overall record.

“I guess two behind, then eventually you tie, then eventually you break. That was big.

“It’s been different since, naturally because the chase is in a different place.

“I take motivation from different places. Not so much from trying to stay ahead because I broke the record, and if somebody else does, well, that’s great for them. You can’t protect everything anyway.”

Federer, who during Wimbledon set two new landmarks in winning his 100th match at the championships and his 350th match at a Grand Slam, said holding the record was not what motivated him as a player.

“I didn’t become a tennis player for that,” said Federer.

“It’s about trying to win Wimbledon, trying to have good runs here, playing in front of such an amazing crowd in this Centre Court against players like Novak and so forth.

“That’s what I play for.”

Federer said there were similarities with his loss to Nadal in 2008 but differences too.

“This one is more straightforward maybe in some ways because we didn’t have the rain delays, the night coming in and all that stuff,” he said.

“But sure, epic ending, so close, so many moments, sure there are similarities.

“I’m the loser both times, that’s the only similarity I see.”

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Analysis

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker: “All the compliments in the world to Roger Federer, for the performances over the past two weeks, showing he’s still one of the top players in the world, and one point away from a record ninth Wimbledon title.

“He’s an ambassador for all men, not just sportsmen, he’s in great shape.

“We said before that the longer the match goes on, the better it would be for Djokovic. But Roger was as fit as a fiddle in the fifth set.”

Former British number one Tim Henman: “There’s no doubt Roger Federer will be massively disappointed.

“In terms of disappointments in his career this will be right up there. To have two match points and against one of his biggest rivals on his favourite court – it will hurt.

“I know he’s good at controlling his emotions, but this will sting for a long, long time.”

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Novak Djokovic says his epic Wimbledon final victory over Roger Federer was his most “mentally demanding” match – and he even had to tell himself the partisan crowd was cheering for him.

Djokovic, 32, retained his title with a 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 13-12 (7-3) win over the eight-time champion, 37.

Lasting four hours 57 minutes, it was the longest Wimbledon singles final.

“When the crowd is chanting ‘Roger’ I hear ‘Novak’,” said the Serb. “It sounds silly, but it is like that.”

Djokovic – now a five-time Wimbledon champion – added: “Mentally this was different level.

“It was probably the most demanding, mentally most demanding, match I was ever part of.

“It was a huge relief in the end. You work for, you live for these kind of matches.

“They give sense and they give value to every minute you spend on the court training and working to get yourself in this position and play the match with one of your greatest rivals of all time.”

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‘I always try to imagine myself as a winner’ – blocking out the noise

Djokovic saved two match points on his way to beating Federer in the first 12-12 final-set singles tie-break used at the All England Club.

He credited mental training and visualisation in helping him through the epic that unfolded on Centre Court, adding it was more difficult for him than the physical toll on his body.

“I always try to imagine myself as a winner. I think there is a power to that,” he said.

“Also there has to be, next to the willpower, strength that comes not just from your physical self, but from your mental and emotional self.

“For me, at least, it’s a constant battle within, more than what happens outside.

“It’s really not the situations that you experience that are affecting you, but how you internally experience those situations, how you accept them, how you live through them.”

Federer fever was rife throughout the grounds of SW19 and on Centre Court itself, with the majority of the 15,000 in the stands supporting the Swiss.

That is a situation Djokovic has faced on numerous occasions and something he has been known to react negatively to, cupping his ear in response to chants supporting opponent Roberto Bautista Agut in the semi-finals.

In the final, many of the 52 unforced errors and nine double faults Djokovic made were cheered, and he was booed when he questioned a Hawk-Eye decision that had ruled in Federer’s favour.

His celebrations after winning the title were somewhat muted.

Asked if he was aware of the favouritism towards Federer, Djokovic said: “It’s hard to not be aware.

“You have that kind of electric atmosphere, that kind of noise, especially in some decisive moments where we’re quite even. It’s one way or another. The crowd gets into it.

“If you have the majority of the crowd on your side, it helps. It gives you motivation, it gives you strength, it gives you energy. When you don’t, then you have to find it within.”

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‘I don’t have any obligation to play’

With 16 Grand Slam titles to his name, Djokovic closed the gap to Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (18) on the all-time records list.

Djokovic is five years Federer’s junior and one year younger than Nadal, and he says they are “one of the biggest reasons” he continues to compete.

“The fact they made history motivates me. It inspires me to try to do what they have done, what they’ve achieved, and even more,” he said.

“Whether I’m going to be able to do it or not, I don’t know. I’m not really looking at age as a restriction of any kind for me at least.

Djokovic refuses to set himself the target of catching – or surpassing – their records, because he has bigger priorities in his life.

“It depends not only on myself, it depends on circumstances in life,” he said. “I’m not just a tennis player, I’m a father and a husband.

“I don’t have any obligation to play. I really don’t have any commitment to play tennis. I play it because I really love it and I have support of the closest people in my life.”

How the tennis world reacted

Six-time Wimbledon singles champion Billie Jean King: An epic men’s final. Congratulations to Novak Djokovic on his fifth singles title at Wimbledon. Roger Federer and Novak are two world-class players who left it all on the court.

Four-time Wimbledon singles champion Rod Laver: An incredible finale. Congratulations Novak Djokovic on your fifth Wimbledon title. You and Roger Federer reached the highest level. A thrilling match between two incomparable grasscourt champions. Thank you for the good fight, played fairly and ferociously.

Former Wimbledon champion Martina Hingis: STANDING OVATION for both players in this Wimbledon final! What a joy and privilege to watch.

2018 Wimbledon runner-up Kevin Anderson: I have such huge respect for both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. What a match… wouldn’t have minded to see it go on a little longer. Congrats Novak on another Wimbledon.

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Czech Barbora Strycova and Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Su-wei defeated Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and China’s Yifan Xu in straight sets to win the Wimbledon women’s doubles title on Centre Court.

Third seeds Strycova, a singles semi-finalist, and partner Hsieh triumphed 6-2 6-4 in one hour and six minutes.

Following a first Grand Slam title for the pair, Strycova, 33, moves to number one in the women’s doubles rankings.

Earlier, Ivan Dodig and Latisha Chan claimed the mixed doubles title.

Croat Dodig, 34, and Taiwanese Chan, 29, prevailed 6-2 6-3 against Sweden’s Robert Lindstedt and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in one hour and 10 minutes.

Crowned French Open champions in June, the eighth seeds dominated the first set and secured the decisive break in the eighth game of the second set.

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