‘Dream final is still alive’, read the Telegraph’s back page on Tuesday, highlighting how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two victories away from a final showdown, 10 years on from their epic encounter at SW19.

Some have dared to call the prospects of a Federer-Nadal final inevitable. The stars are aligning, supposedly, towards what would be the most popular contest, and a particularly welcome one on an afternoon where there is also the World Cup final to contend with.

But all this talk is incredibly presumptuous, particularly when Novak Djokovic remains in the fold.

Djokovic is the man in the shadows at Wimbledon, reprising a role he has grown accustomed to while the crowd gush over Federer and Nadal. He has already played the pantomime villain here this year, subjected to jeers and timely coughs during Saturday’s four-set win over home favourite Kyle Edmund. But it’s nothing new.

Out of the shadows

The 31-year-old Serb is five years younger than Federer and a year younger than Nadal. He was tasked with playing catch-up, handed the toughest task any emerging player could have asked for – usurping two of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

But on July 4, 2011, Djokovic did just that, becoming world No 1 for the first time. It was a year in which he won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, while he ended the season with a 70-6 record, but more significantly, a 10-1 showing against Federer and Nadal.

Djokovic then lost the No 1 status to Federer, before claiming it back, only to lose it to Nadal, before once more claiming it back. He went on to cement his own legendary status with a supreme 2015 showing, which ended with an 80-6 record and featured a second successive Wimbledon final win over Federer, before he ‘completed’ tennis a year later when a French Open success delivered a career Grand Slam.

Back into the shadows

But that’s where it all came crashing down for Djokovic. Roland Garros remains his last Grand Slam victory – just one final has followed, as well as six exits in the quarter-finals or earlier.

His form and fitness struggles have been well documented, and in 2017 he was powerless to prevent the Roger and Rafa renaissance, which saw the formidable duo share out the four majors between them.

Djokovic split from his coaching team in mid-2017 as a form of ‘shock therapy’, while a subsequent link-up with Andre Agassi never bore fruit, with the duo parting ways just two months ago.

The road to recovery following elbow surgery has been rocky for Djokovic, but there were signs of a revival during the clay-court season, which included a run to the French Open quarter-finals, while this rebirth was all-but confirmed with his display at Queen’s last month.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

Djokovic may have lost the Queen’s final to Marin Cilic, but his display was an announcement to the world of tennis that this is a man ready to fight on the big stage once more.

He was keen to downplay his own chances of Wimbledon success in the build-up, but his performances in south-west London have been saying otherwise.

Djokovic made light work of Tennys Sandren in the first round, before dropping just six games once more en route to beating Horacio Zeballos in the second. And in the pressure cooker of Centre Court on Saturday, he dismissed Edmund in four sets – silencing the crowd with a display of true grit.

The menace was back in Djokovic’s eyes, and he took this momentum with him when seeing off Karen Khachanov in straight sets on Monday.

Djokovic simply cannot be overlooked. Like Federer, Nadal, and every other player in the quarters, he is also three wins away from Wimbledon glory, and is focused on writing his own story as opposed to being part of another, supposedly inevitable tale.

Three more tests

Awaiting Djokovic is a 10th Wimbledon quarter-final, in which he faces Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

“Now the matches are only going to get tougher,” Djokovic said on Monday. “I've been in this position and situation before many times. I don't want to look ahead too much.”

That would be wise, especially as he has never played Nishikori on grass before, but there is no denying Djokovic has the mental edge, and a 13-2 record to boot, winning their last 12 encounters.

It’s difficult not to look ahead a few days, for there is a potential semi-final with Nadal and potential final with Federer in the offing. And as it stands, Djokovic has a 26-25 record against Nadal, and while he is 23-22 against Federer.

Wimbledon glory could allow Djokovic to open some daylight in his head-to-head records over the two greats. Maybe then, upon a 13th Grand Slam triumph, which would also be his finest, we will start giving him the credit he is due.